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Eyelid skin lesions in anthrax: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025
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Anthrax is an acute infectious disease, zoonotic, caused by the anthrax bacillus, which occurs with damage to the skin, lymph nodes and internal organs. The cutaneous form of anthrax in most cases manifests itself with the formation of a specific carbuncle.
The pathogen penetrates the skin of the eyelids through damaged skin. At the site of the infection's entry gate, a spot, papule, vesicle, and ulcer develop successively.
The spot is reddish-bluish, painless, and resembles an insect bite. After a few hours, the spot turns into a copper-red papule. Local itching and a burning sensation increase. After 12-24 hours, the papule turns into a blister filled with serous fluid, which darkens and becomes bloody. When scratched or spontaneously, the blister bursts, its walls fall off. An ulcer with a dark-brown, hemorrhagic discharge of various colors is formed. Due to necrosis, the central part of the ulcer turns into a black, painless, dense scab after 1-2 weeks. In appearance, the scab resembles a piece of coal on a red background. In general, the lesion is called a carbuncle. The tissue edema that occurs along the periphery of the carbuncle sometimes captures large areas of loose subcutaneous tissue, for example, on the face, a jelly-like edema. Localization of a carbuncle on the face and especially on the eyelids is very dangerous, since the swelling can spread to the upper respiratory tract and lead to asphyxia and death.
Anthrax carbuncle in the necrosis zone is painless, which is an important differential diagnostic sign. Developing lymphadenitis is also painless. Severe course of the cutaneous form can be complicated by the development of anthrax sepsis and have an unfavorable outcome. Diagnosis is made according to laboratory data. The material for laboratory research in the cutaneous form of eyelid anthrax is the contents of vesicles and carbuncles. Treatment is carried out with antibiotics in combination with anti-anthrax immunoglobulin. Skin manifestations on the eyelids do not require local treatment, surgical interventions can lead to generalization of the process.
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