ciguatoxins and Shock--Septic

A few days after a seafood meal a patient suffered ataxia and stupor. His examination revealed a confused patient with cerebellar signs and ocular disturbances (hypotropia). Blood results, cerebrospinal fluid and brain CT scan were unremarkable. The patient developed a septic shock and died 4 weeks after admission. No necropsy was performed. Questioning his family confirmed that he had eaten a shellfish meal a few hours before onset of the digestive signs. Trocas (Tectus pyramis) were definitely identified. The clinical picture strongly suggested a seafood poisoning, namely ciguatera. However, no toxicologic assay was performed. To our knowledge, this poisoning has never been reported with trocas. Nevertheless, the feeding habits of trocas would suggest similarity with ciguatera poisoning.

Topics: Adult; Ataxia; Ciguatoxins; Coma; Fatal Outcome; Humans; Male; Seafood; Shellfish; Shock, Septic