Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas, Campinas Poison Control Center, Centro de Controle de Intoxicações, Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2011 Mar;49(3):187-90. doi: 10.3109/15563650.2011.560855.
The most important millipede species causing accidents in Brazil is Rhinocricus padbergi (order Spirobolida, family Rhinocricidae), a vegetarian scavenger distributed from Central to South America. Eleven clinical cases of dermal and oral accidental exposures to secretions from Rhinocricus spp. milipedes are described.
Eleven cases of skin and oral involvement after accidental contact with the secretions of Rhinocricus spp. in patients from 1to 46 years are detailed. Ten of the 11 accidents involved the feet and in 1 child the mouth. Mild pain was reported in two of the cases, and a transient local burning sensation was described by most of the patients. Three reported no pain or any sensation at all. What was observed in all patients was a dark reddish or blackish staining of the skin simulating inflammatory or even necrotic lesions, which resolved naturally after some weeks.
Despite the necrotic appearance of Rhinocricus spp. skin lesions, only a very mild inflammation and no necrosis occur. Analysis of the content of 50 glands of these animals captured in the southeast region of Brazil identified 2-methil-1,4-benzoquinone and 3,3a,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo-[2,3-b] pyridine-2,6-dione as the substances responsible for the lesions. Benzoquinones are strongly irritant and persistent compounds, working very well as insect repellents and are toxic to a great variety of other parasites and pathogens. They also have tanning properties. No systemic toxic effects have been described so far after skin contact with benzoquinones or Rhinocricus species.
在巴西，导致事故的最重要千足虫物种是 Rhinocricus padbergi（螺旋体目，Rhinocricidae 科），一种分布于中美洲至南美洲的素食清道夫。描述了 11 例因意外接触 Rhinocricus spp. 千足虫分泌物而导致皮肤和口腔的临床病例。
详细介绍了 11 例患者在意外接触 Rhinocricus spp. 分泌物后出现皮肤和口腔受累的情况，患者年龄为 1 至 46 岁。11 例事故中有 10 例涉及脚部，有 1 例涉及口腔。有 2 例报告有轻度疼痛，大多数患者描述有短暂的局部烧灼感。有 3 例报告没有疼痛或任何感觉。所有患者都观察到皮肤呈暗红色或黑色染色，类似于炎症甚至坏死病变，但在数周后自然消退。
尽管 Rhinocricus spp. 皮肤病变呈现坏死外观，但实际上只发生非常轻微的炎症，没有坏死。对在巴西东南部捕获的这些动物的 50 个腺体的内容物进行分析，鉴定出 2-甲基-1,4-苯醌和 3,3a,4,5-四氢-1H-吡咯并[2,3-b]吡啶-2,6-二酮是导致病变的物质。苯醌是强烈刺激性和持久性化合物，作为驱虫剂效果非常好，对各种其他寄生虫和病原体有毒。它们还有鞣皮特性。迄今为止，皮肤接触苯醌或 Rhinocricus 物种后尚未描述全身性毒性作用。
