Digital gangrene following a green pit viper bite.
In Hong Kong, the white-lipped green pit viper (Trimeresurus albolabris) accounts for the majority of venomous snake bites. In these patients, the cardinal features are local pain and swelling and mild coagulation abnormalities, but digital gangrene is uncommon. A 58-year-old woman was bitten on the left middle finger pulp by a white-lipped green pit viper. She developed local pain and swelling and coagulopathy, complicated by pulp tissue necrosis and digital gangrene of left middle finger. She fully recovered after amputation of the left middle finger at the mid portion.
Chan
Tyk
T
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China. tykchan@cuhk.edu.hk
Hung
L K
LK
D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005734:Gangrene; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012909:Snake Bites / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D017841:Trimeresurus