Editor-in-Chief: Alaa Abd-Elsayed, MD, PhD
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BACKGROUND: The Portuguese man o’ war (Physalia physalis) is an organism that lives in semitropical areas of the Atlantic Ocean, including off the coast of the United States. It has long tentacles extending far beyond the organism that pose a risk to swimmers. The most common symptoms of envenomation include local reactions at the site of injury, but systemic effects are possible with significant venom burden. Long-term effects are uncommon, but persistent cutaneous changes have been described.
CASE REPORT: A 46-year-old woman presented with persistent shooting, burning left lower extremity pain following contact with a Portuguese man o’ war one year prior.
CONCLUSION: Here we report a case of persistent sural compression neuropathy following envenomation by a Portuguese man o’ war responsive to conservative management including medications for neuropathic pain, physical therapy, and sural nerve blocks.
KEY WORDS: Sural nerve compression, jellyfish sting, Portuguese man o’ war, envenomation, compression neuropathy, case report
