Spider bite hemolytic anemia: positive Coombs' test, erythrophagocytosis, and leukoerythroblastic smear.

The full hematologic profile of spider bite hemolytic anemia has not been documented in the literature. The two patients had brisk intravascular hemolysis with direct Coombs' tests positive for complement and with peripheral blood smears showing spherocytosis, erythrophagocytosis, and leukoerythroblastosis. The author's experience, along with that in the literature reviewed herein, suggests that the hemolytic anemia that can follow the bite of the brown recluse spider could be confused with autoimmune hemolytic anemia.