We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Conditions

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is an Eschar?

By Summer Banks
Updated: Mar 03, 2024
Views: 40,868
Share

Eschar is an area of dead tissue on the skin. Often called a black wound, the scab may appear black with a thick collection of dry tissue. This tissue is often necrotic, or created as a result of the early death of otherwise healthy skin cells. This condition can be related to burn injuries, spider bites, and gangrene. Ulcers and fungal infections can also lead to this.

When skin cells die as a result of an infection or poisonous bite, cellular necrosis begins. This can also be linked to lack of oxygen being delivered to an area of the body, which is often the cause of limb necrosis in diabetic patients. As the skin cells die, a scab is formed in the area of cell death. This scab is the beginning of eschar. In the case of gangrene, a small injury or break in the skin may be all that is needed for the eschar to form.

Arachnogenic necrosis can also lead to eschar. Arachnogenic necrosis refers to the effect of spider bite venom on the skin. In the United States, the brown recluse spider is the only verified species with neurotic venom. The hobo spider, sac spider, and brown recluse spider remain under suspicion without medical proof that they carry cell damaging venom.

The Chilean recluse spider, however, has been proven to cause skin neurosis. This species is found in South America. When the spider venom enters the skin, the cells immediate begin to die around the bite. As the venom spreads, the wound will also spread and cause a large scab to form.

An eschar may be treated in one of three ways. If there is no infection associated with the scabbing, the area will often be allowed to slough off the skin naturally. If potential infection is an issue, or if the immune system of the patient is compromised, a surgical removal of the dead tissue may be performed. This procedure is called debridement.

Lack of circulation to an area can be both a cause and effect of necrotic scabbing. As the skin tightens and the affected area grows, the circulation to the area around the wound may be compromised. If the area of the wound does not have sufficient blood flow, doctors may order a escharotomy. This procedure involves making an incision into the eschar to relieve the internal pressure from the wound. This small incision will often stretch dramatically, exposing the fatty tissue underneath.

Share
The Health Board is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
By anon277966 — On Jul 03, 2012

Is it possible to get the formation of black eschar from surgery?

By Monika — On Jul 06, 2011

@starrynight - Just be glad you don't live near the Chilean recluse spider. Not only does its bite cause necrosis but the necrosis also continues to spread.

Honestly there are a lot of things in life to be afraid of and getting bitten by a brown recluse doesn't sound that likely. I think I would be more afraid of this happening because of a burn or something.

By starrynight — On Jul 05, 2011

I am petrified of spiders and this article did not help! I also actually live in an area where there are brown recluse spiders too.

However I am relieved to know that sometimes this problem takes care of itself. That being said I would guess that the likelihood of an infection occurring around necrotic tissue is probably pretty high.

Share
https://www.thehealthboard.com/what-is-an-eschar.htm
Copy this link
The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.