Beyond the exoskeleton: A review of dermatologic entomotherapy
Entomotherapy is an underutilized treatment within all medical fields, particularly within dermatology. Further promoting the use and efficacy of dermato-entomotherapy products may benefit patients and dermatologists alike. This review focuses on the examination of 4 particular insect-based products and their relevance to medical dermatology: bees, blister beetles, maggots, and ants. A search strategy was developed with assistance from a medical librarian and run on February 22, 2024, in Medline Ovid, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane. The strategy was first drafted in Medline Ovid using MeSH terms (Apitherapy; Arthritis, Psoriatic; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Bee Venoms; Cantharidin; Cicatrix; Dermatology; Maggot Debridement Therapy; and Skin Diseases) as well as equivalent keywords and phrases. The final strategy was then translated to the respective controlled vocabularies and syntax of Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane. A total of 1180 abstracts were screened, and 276 full-text articles were reviewed for their relevance to dermatology. Insect-based dermatologic therapies are highly efficacious and may be utilized as treatment options for numerous dermatologic ailments.
