[Massive poisoning by African bee stings].
BACKGROUND
Bee stings can cause severe toxic effects when envenomation is massive.


METHODS
While touring in Casamance (Southern Senegal) a white male was severely stung by a swarm of African bees. The massive envenomation caused rhabdomyolysis, hemolysis and acute renal failure. Pathology examination of kidney and bladder specimens showed vasculitis affecting both arteries and veins. The patient was treated with several hemodialysis sessions and renal function returned to normal three months after the incident.


CONCLUSIONS
Bees in Africa, known as "killer bees", are particularly aggressive. They have recently been imported from tropical zones in America where a large number of deaths have been reported. Most cases of massive envenomation have shown acute tubular necrosis or renal involvement with myoglobinuria or hemoglobinuria. The renal pathology observed in our case is not usually described.
Service de Néphrologie, CHU de Rouen.
C
C
Bourgain
M D
MD
Pauti
J P
JP
Fillastre
M
M
Godin
A
A
François
J P
JP
Leroy
J M
JM
Droy
F
F
Klotz
D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000506:poisoning*; D001516:Bees; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications*; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012206:Rhabdomyolysis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D012675:Senegal; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000098:blood supply; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000209:etiology
D001514:Bee Venoms
Envenimation massive après piqûres d'abeilles africaines.