[Marine dermatitis following exposure to a Portuguese-man-of-war]

During the summer, beach related skin lesions are common reasons for emergency room and dermatology office visits. The authors describe the case of a child with a painful maculopapular rash that resulted after a probable cutaneous exposure to a portuguese-man-of-war. He did not show other signs or symptoms and was discharged home on medications including analgesics, anti-histamines and topical steroids. A week later the skin lesions were completely healed. Even though most cases of marine dermatitis found in Portugal are low-severity, it is important to study the fauna and flora of each region to improve medical care.