Hedgehog hives

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.