PMC10368086_01
a Mauve stinger P. noctiluca photographed in the Ligurian Sea, northwestern Italy. b Clinical figure of the P. noctiluca sting, characterized by an erythematous plaque on the forearm. c Dermoscopy showed an erythematous pinkish background with numerous brown dots and lines, distributed along the surface of the skin.
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F1
A 54-year-old Caucasian female patient presented to our Unit of Dermatology, for a 10 days-old history of macular-erythematous lesions in her right upper limb (Fig. 1b). The patient referred that the lesion arose 10 days before, while she was swimming in northwestern Italy (Liguria region), when she accidentally bumped into a jellyfish P. noctiluca (Fig. 1a). The dermoscopy of the lesion showed a general pinkish background surmounted by numerous brown dots and lines, distributed along the surface of the skin (Fig. 1c).
a Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) revealed multiple hyperreflective, highly coiled, hollow, and harpoonlike structures through the epidermis (arrow), corresponding to cnidocysts. b Another RCM section (en face view of the epidermis) showed the presence of harpoonlike structures (cnidocysts) through the epidermis (arrow).
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F2
RCM showed the presence of multiple and diffuse partially hyperreflective, highly coiled, hollow, and harpoonlike structures through the epidermis (Fig. 2a, b).