Acute Renal Failure and Silent Myocardial Infarction Following Multiple Honey Bee Stings.

ABSTRACT

Massive envenomation by honey bee sting is capable of causing multiorgan dysfunction as a result of direct toxic effect of venom and secondary to systemic anaphylactic reactions. Myocardial infarction (MI) due to honey bee sting is rare, so is acute renal failure (ARF). The probable mechanism is severe coronary arterial spasm with secondary in situ thrombosis as a result of systemic anaphylaxis. This is a case of Kounis syndrome, which is the concurrence of acute coronary syndromes with conditions associated with mast cell activation. We describe a case of ARF and MI in a 58-year-old man after multiple honey bee stings; clinically silent and detected on electrocardiography and by cardiac biomarkers.