Scorpion sting and allergic reaction to scorpion venom: A case-based review

To describe a young patient with scorpion sting (SS) with typical lesions of urticaria besides the local SS clinical picture.

A systematic screening of articles dating from 1966 to 2021 was conducted in the main databases. All articles included the association between SS and urticaria. A new case report is added to the published list.

The literature search found 5 articles with 29 patients with SS and urticaria/allergic reactions. We performed our analysis by adding our present case, resulting in a total of 30 cases. Most were male, and their ages varied from 29 to 48 years. Regarding SS severity, most were mild or moderate. In two articles, patients had more than one sting. The allergic reaction varied from urticaria, pruritus, flushing, angioedema, wheezing, rhinorrhea, sneezing, consciousness alterations, and gastrointestinal and cardiovascular alterations. In 5/6 (83%) articles, the patients were alive at the study time. One subject died from anaphylactic shock.

The present article systematically reviewed all published cases of SS and allergic reactions to scorpion venom. It is an infrequent association; most patients are male and in the productive age, and reaction may vary from mild to severe, including death.