In a rare case, a bee stings a man in the eye, leaving serious complications

Doctors at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, USA, revealed a rare case of a 55-year-old man being stung by a bee in his right eye, which led to unexpected complications.

The man reportedly sought help from his local emergency department the day he was stung, but medical staff were unsuccessful in their attempts to remove the stinger stuck in his iris.

Two days later, the patient's condition worsened, as the blood vessels in his right iris began to bleed, leaving him with almost no vision. 

Specialists at the eye clinic he went to for treatment used a fluorescent dye to stain his inflamed cornea. Under a specialized microscope equipped with a bright light, the team found a small object embedded in the transparent tissue between the iris and the sclera (the white of the eye).

The thin mucous membrane covering the sclera was inflamed with dilated blood vessels. The cornea, which covers the pupil and iris, was swollen.

Doctors used jeweler's forceps to pull the rest of the small foreign body out of the man's eye. The patient was then prescribed eye drops along with antibacterial medication and steroids.

After 5 months, his vision improved to just under perfect 20/25.

“A bee sting in the eye requires seeing an ophthalmologist because of the severe inflammation that can result from the injury, as well as the possibility of a stinger in the eye,” warned Talia Shoshani and Zeba Syed, ophthalmologists at the Wills Eye Hospital.

Without prompt treatment, the damage can be "devastating to eye health and visual function," say experts at the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Experts explain that bee and wasp stings are complex, and release venom that can penetrate deep into the gel-like part of the eye, exposing the back of the eyeball to toxins and triggering an immune reaction.

Removing the needle may stop the body's immune response and improve symptoms, but it may not be necessary or recommended in all cases. 

The case study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.