Encephalopathy and Papilledema After Bee Sting

IN A PREVIOUS PAPER¹concerning neuritis occurring after insect stings, a patient was described in whom papilledema developed in the left eye within two weeks after being stung on the left temple by a bee. Recently, we had occasion to see another patient who was stung on the head by a bee and in whom bilateral papilledema and encephalopathy developed soon afterward. Although these findings are rarely produced by an insect sting, they are of a serious nature, and prompt recognition of a precipitating cause is important for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Report of a Case

The patient, a 56-year-old farmer, was admitted to the Mayo Clinic on Aug 18, 1963, with symptoms of headache and confusion. His wife supplied the initial history because of the patient's state of confusion. The patient had been in good health until Aug 9, 1963, when he was stung on the top of