CASE SUMMARY: A 70-year-old man was bitten by a large number of ants when he was in a drunken stupor and was hospitalized at a local hospital. Five days later, because of severe symptoms, the patient was transferred to our hospital for treatment. Numerous pustules were observed interspersed throughout the body, with
itching and
pain reported. He had experienced
fever,
vomiting,
hematochezia,
mania, soliloquy, sleep disturbances, and elevated levels of myocardial
enzymes since the onset of illness. The patient had a history of
hypertension for more than 1 year, and his blood pressure was within the normal range after hypotensive
drug treatment. He had no other relevant medical history. Based on the clinical history of an ant
bite and its clinical manifestations, the patient was diagnosed with an
ant venom allergy. The patient was treated with 60 mg
methylprednisolone for 2 d, 40 mg
methylprednisolone for 3 d, and 20 mg
methylprednisolone for 2 d. Oral
antihistamines and
diazepam were administered for 12 d and 8 d, respectively. Cold compresses were used to treat the swelling during the process. After 12 d of treatment, most pustules became crusts, whereas some had faded away. No symptoms of
pain,
itching, or psychological disturbances were reported during the follow-up visits within 6 mo.
CONCLUSION: