Marine Penetrating Injury to the Shoulder of Uncertain Origin

Penetrating injuries from marine animals are rare events; however, published case reports have detailed critical injuries including death occurring as a result of such incidents. We present a case of a marine penetrating injury to the right posterolateral shoulder of a 10-y-old boy. The patient underwent open surgical debridement and a course of oral antibiotics before returning to normal function. Clinicians should have an appreciation of various clinical patterns of marine penetrating wounds, the need for prompt imaging to exclude foreign bodies, and appropriate antibiotics to cover gram-negative bacteria and Vibrio species, which are commonly found in marine-related injuries.