Background: Hedgehogs are increasingly popular pets in the United States an
d Europe. A number of infections may be acquired from these animals, and he
dgehogs are possible hosts of parasites. However, to our knowledge there ar
e no previous reports of urticarial reactions to hedgehogs.
Observations: We describe 3 patients who developed an acute, transient, urt
icarial reaction after contact with the extended spines of pet hedgehogs. O
ne patient also developed a more prolonged reaction at the site of contact.
Interestingly, all 3 patients had documented allergies to cats and/or dogs
. The results of prick testing in 1 patient to an extract of hedgehog dande
r produced an immediate wheal-and-flare reaction.
Conclusions: A variety of dermatologic disorders may be seen in handlers of
hedgehogs. Due to the increasing popularity of these animals as pets, it i
s likely that these reactions will be noted more frequently by dermatologis
ts. The presence of allergies to other pets may be predictive of hedgehog h
ives and further investigation of the cross reaction of various animal anti
gens may clarify this relationship.