Sea-urchin envenomation

Sea-urchin stings may produce injurious and venomous wounds. Although numerous writers refer to the danger of pedicellarial stings, there is little worth-while clinical data. We report a case of sea-urchin injury with severe local reaction and acute hepatitis. A 47-y-o Taiwanese woman accidentally stepped on a sea urchin while scuba diving on a beach in Palau Islands. The puncture wounds were numerous and she felt faintness, and immediate and intense pain. Initial management included partial spine removal, betadine immersion, intravenous fluid and analgesics. She developed fever, chills, nausea, and persistent serous discharge and tenderness from the sites of stings in the following days. She was admitted due to right foot cellulitis, sea-urchin injuries of both soles and suspected toxic hepatitis on the 7th day after envenomation. Serum alanine transaminase was 810 U/L and aspartate transaminase 320 U/L; she received i.v. antibiotics and wound debridement for removal of residual stings. She recovered gradually and was discharged 2 w later. Travel related marine animal injury has an increasing tendency throughout the world. This case had the unusual presentation of severe local reaction and hepatitis; immediate and more aggressive spine removal might have lessened the degree of injury.