Multiple cerebral infarctions following a snakebite by Bothrops caribbaeus.

Abstract

Bothrops caribbaeus, a species of the Bothrops complex, is found only in the island of Saint Lucia, West Indies. Snakebite from this pitviper is very rare. We report the case of a healthy 32-year-old Saint Lucian man who developed multiple cerebral infarctions following envenoming by this snake. This patient developed signs and symptoms very similar to those observed in patients envenomed by Bothrops lanceolatus, a snake found only in Martinique, the neighbor island of Saint Lucia. This clinical presentation differs dramatically from coagulopathies and systemic bleeding observed with the Central and South American bothropic envenomings. The exact mechanism of this thrombogenic phenomenon, leading to a unique envenoming syndrome, remains unknown.