Acute pancreatitis after viperid snake cerastes cerastes envenoming: a case report

Snakebites by the viper snake Cerastes cerastes are quite common across the world but rarely published with regard to their mostly benign course. The reported case study depicts the envenoming of a 36-year-old Czech man, a private herpetologist, who suffered snakebite to his finger. He developed a painful local reaction with hemorrhagic oedema. Subsequently, consumption coagulopathy with thrombocytopenia and haemolysis, colicky pain in the epigastrium and acute renal failure developed. Acute exudative pancreatitis was diagnosed on the third day after envenoming. Hemorrhagic oedema of the arm was complicated by a phlegmon. Symptomatic treatment including haemodialysis, fresh frozen plasma and thrombocytes was administered. Antivenom was not administered due to the delay in referral to the specialized unit. The patient recovered within one month, only postnecrotic defects of the finger persisted.