MASSIVE ENVENOMATION BY AFRICAN KILLER BE ES

BACKGROUND: Bee stings can cause severe toxic effects when envenomatio n is massive. CASE REPORT: While louring in Casamance (Southern Senega l) a white male was severely stung by a swarm of African bees. The mas sive envenomation caused rhabdomyolysis, hemolysis and acute renal fai lure, Pathology examination of kidney and bladder specimens showed vas culitis affecting both arteries and veins. The patient was treated wit h several hemodialysis sessions and renal function returned to normal three monts after the incident DISCUSSION: Bees in Africa, known as '' killer bees'', are particularly aggressive. They have recently been im ported from tropical zones in America where a large number of deaths h ave been reported. Most cases of massive envenomation have shown acute tubular necrosis or renal involvement with myoglobinuria or hemoglobi nuria, The renal pathology observed in our case is not usually describ ed. (C) 1998. Masson, Paris.