Bee sting of the cornea: a case study and review of the literature

Abstract

Bee stings of the cornea are rarely reported, but have the potential for causing serious ophthalmological injuries. We present a case of corneal bee sting with retained stinger apparatus. A 35-year-old patient presented with an acute, corneal bee sting of the right eye 12 hours after he was stung. The patient suffered from pain, blurred vision, and epiphora. The right eye showed edema of the upper and lower eyelid, conjunctival hyperemia, chemosis, and striate keratitis of the paracentral cornea by biomicroscopic examination. The stinger was identified in the depth of the corneal infiltration. Visual acuity was 5/10. It was removed surgically. After 2 months, the eye only showed a minimal residual corneal opacification. Visual acuity was 10/10. We present a case of bee sting to the cornea with retained stinger apparatus and treatment of this unusual presentation.