Skeeter syndrome: allergic reaction to a mosquito bite

Insect allergy is an urgent problem worldwide, most commonly it is caused by mosquito bites. The number and repertoire of insects are unique for each location, therefore there are features for each region in terms of prevalence and clinical manifestations of insect allergy. According to data from our survey of children with allergic disorders (n=705) in the Moscow region, complaints about developing hyperergic reactions to mosquito bites were reported by 35% of children (n=247). Among them, local reactions predominated in 88.7% of children (n=219), 2% of children (n=5) had Skeeter syndrome, in which severe local inflammatory responses to mosquito bites develop rapidly within a few hours and can be accompanied by mild systemic reactions of weakness and subfebrile fever. In initial examination and palpation of the tissues, it is almost impossible to distinguish allergic inflammation observed in Skeeter syndrome from infectious inflammation, which results in an unjustified prescription of antibiotics and surgical intervention. Insect allergy can involve various mechanisms of allergic response and is rarely mediated by specific IgE hyperproduction, which complicates diagnosis in routine practice. The presented clinical case describes Skeeter syndrome in a three-year-old boy with an aggravated history of allergic disorders.