[Spitting cobra ophthalmia (Naja nigricollis)]

The spitting cobra (Naja nigricollis) can eject its venom into its adversary's eyes from a distance of several meters. This causes an immediate and painful conjunctival infection, followed by blepharospasm, corneal and conjunctival edema, and erosion. Corneal ulcer, in some cases with perforation, hypopyon and endophthalmitis are the results. The present paper reports on a 35-year-old patient from Hemkoa (South Upper Volta) whose eyes had been affected by the venom of a spitting cobra 5 years previously. The patient had meanwhile lost his sight as a result of bilateral sclerosing keratitis. The possible influence of the patient's basic disease (onchocerciasis) on the course of the sclerosing keratitis is discussed.