Woman's Ear Dissolves after Being Bitten by a Spider

A woman's ears turn black and dissolve after being bitten by a poisonous spider in Italy, according to the Daily Mail.

The Dutch woman, 22, had to make use of her own cartilage from her ribs to have her ear repaired. Part of her ear was liquefied by the Mediterranean recluse spider's venom which resulted to dead skin and cartilage. The woman's case is reported to be the first evidence that proved recluse spider's venom can destroy cartilage. This condition started when the woman first woke up one morning with a painful ear. Her ear swelled up so she visited a local hospital where she was given antihistamine. However, this did not help with the pain and swelling. When she returned to the Netherlands, part of her swollen ear had already turned black, indicating thta cells have already died. 

Dead tissue made it clear to doctors that the woman had been bitten by a Mediterranean recluse spider, a type of spider whose bite is known to destroy skin and underlying fat, thus resulting to scars or a disfigured ear, according to Live Science. The bite of this particular type of spider may take up to two months to heal and it often leaves a sunken scar.

Although aware of the condition, Dr. Marieke van Wijk said that it was the first time doctors had seen a spider's venom destroy human cartilage as well as skin. He and his colleagues were forced to remove the dead tissue from the woman's ear and the rebuild it once again using cartilage from the ribs. He told Live Science that "the spiders are not that dangerous and that she wouldn't take precautions to avoid a bite. The case was reported in the journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery.