Abstract: A 19-year-old male patient developed redness and swelling on his left hand after being bitten by a centipede, accompanied by severe pain. The condition progressed rapidly, presenting with purplish-black discoloration, large blisters, erosion, and ulceration. There was a decrease in muscle strength, and the creatine kinase level was significantly elevated (17 123 U/L), which was 55 times the upper limit of the normal range. The diagnosis was centipede dermatitis complicated with rhabdomyolysis. He was given methylprednisolone sodium succinate 80 mg/day along with other symptomatic treatments. After 11 days of treatment, re-examinations showed that the muscle enzyme profile, liver function, and urine routine were all normal, and muscle strength returned to normal. During the follow-up 35 days after discharge, the swelling of the patient's left hand subsided, with a bit of skin pigmentation remaining, and the hand function returned to normal.

Key words: centipede, bite, rhabdomyolysis