Clinical Spectrum And Management Of Bee Sting Injuries – An Observational Study

To analyse clinical features, types of management strategies available and outcomes of ocular bee sting injuries

Mithu Tulsi Chanrai Campus

L.V. Prasad Eye Institute

Bhubaneshwar 

India

A retrospective review of data of 152 patients with documented ocular bee sting injuries was analysed through the hospital's electronic medical records (EMR) system between January 2016 to December 2025. Data included presenting visual acuity (VA), intraocular pressure (IOP), slit lamp examination findings, microbiological outcomes, types of management strategies used and post interventional best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Patients with prexisting ocular pathologies like corneal dystrophies, glaucoma or any other condition that can skew the study results were excluded from the study population.

Majority of the study population included male (88.2%) with acute presentations (71.1%). Retained stingers were found in 25% of cases of which complete removal of bee stinger was possible in 76.3%. Corneal infiltrates occurred in 28.9%, hypopyon was present in 7.2% and cataractous changes were present in 20.4% of patients. Microbial growth was detected in only 8.5% either bacterial or fungal. Conservative management was given in 52.63% of patients while 47.37% required surgical intervention. Post treatment 52.6% of study subjects attained a BCVA between 0 - 1 logMAR. Complications included corneal scarring, glaucoma, pthisis bulbi, endophthalmitis and one patient underwent evisceration secondary to panophthalmitis

Ocular bee sting injuries can cause severe anterior segment inflammation and vision threatening complications. Early and prompt stinger removal increases the probabilty of a favourable outcome. A significant subset of patient develop glaucomatous damage and some may develop irreversible sequelae. Early recognition, prompt stinger removal and aggressive control of secondary infection remains crucial for a favourable outcome.