- Corneal bee sting is an uncommon eye injury that can cause ocular complications.
- The complications are because of the penetrating, toxic and immunologic effects of the stinger and the venom injected.
- However, because of the rarity of the condition, there are no clear guidelines in literature on the management of a corneal bee sting.
A 22-year-old male patient presented with complaints of redness, pain and decreased vision in his left eye after an hour of being stung by a bee. This article describes the management of a case of corneal bee sting.
On examination, the patient’s visual acuity in the right eye was 20/20. Although, with the left eye the patient could see only hand movements close to his face. Moreover, further examination of the left eye revealed diffuse corneal haziness because of corneal oedema. In addition, the retained stinger was visible surrounded by infiltrates.
Corneal bee stings are quite rare and can present with signs including mild irritation to vision loss. Complications may include corneal decompensation and secondary glaucoma. The stinger was removed under general anaesthesia and moxifloxacin ophthalmic solution was prescribed to the patient. Additionally, the corneal wound was secured, the anterior chamber was thoroughly cleansed and secured with sutures. The patient was prescribed topical glucocorticoids, antibiotics and cycloplegic medications for 2 weeks.
The patient’s corneal oedema had resolved and visual acuity in the left eye was 20/40 at 3-month follow-up.
References
Corneal Bee Sting https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm2024132
