title: Acute kidney injury by cantharidin poisoning following a silly bet on an ugly beetle.
abstract: Cantharidin is a poisonous substance secreted by blister beetles, including the 'Spanish fly'. Historically, cantharidin was used as an aphrodisiac, vesicant and abortifacient. Symptoms of poisoning include gastrointestinal and genitourinary mucosal irritation along with renal dysfunction. We present the case of a reckless 23-year-old soldier who accepted the challenge of eating a beetle (Berberomeloe majalis). Six hours later he was admitted to the emergency room with abdominal pain, dysuria, gross haematuria with clots, hypotension, fever and renal insufficiency. With intravenous fluid therapy, he recovered clinically. Laboratory parameters returned to normal within 1 week.
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Department , Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC) , Coimbra , Portugal.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cotovio
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Department , Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC) , Coimbra , Portugal.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Department , Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC) , Coimbra , Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guedes Marques
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Department , Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC) , Coimbra , Portugal.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrer
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Department , Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC) , Coimbra , Portugal.
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Department , Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC) , Coimbra , Portugal.
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carreira
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Department , Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC) , Coimbra , Portugal.
authors.forename: Mário
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campos
keywords: acute kidney injury; cantharidin poisoning; haematuria