Ratfish (chimaera monstrosa) sting
Magerøy, N.; Baerheim, A.
Tidsskrift for den Norske Laegeforening Tidsskrift for Praktisk Medicin Ny Raekke 111(17): 2102-2103
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0029-2001 PMID: 1871743 Document Number: 386271
A fisherman was accidentally stung on his right calf by the spine of a ratfish (chimaera monstrosa). Adjacent to the wound was a swelling, with a bluish skin colour the first day. The fisherman experienced an immediate burning pain and during the following days developed numbness of the calf and the back of the thigh. He needed crutches for three weeks, and the symptoms lasted for nine weeks. The treatment consists of rinsing the wound and removing foreign material, and submerging the afflicted limb as soon as possible in water as hot as the patient can tolerate for at least 30 minutes.