Flying fish jumps into man's eye
If you're going to Guadeloupe or anywhere else in the Caribbean for your holiday this year please look out for flying fish, or wear sunglasses.German medical journal Klinische Monatsblatter fur Augenheilkunde reports that a patient dropped in to the University of Guadeloupe's Eye Clinic five days after a "flying fish" [probably actually a needlefish, we believe] jumped out of the sea and impaled his eye socket.
The fish caused a serious lesion to the optic nerve head as the fish tried to flap free.
Pieces of bone from the fish's pointed nose snapped off in the eye and damaged the bones of the orbit.
Despite operating on the wound, cleaning it thoroughly, removing the bone fragments and following a course of antibiotics, the patient lost his sight.
For more disgusting details see: Martin M, Orgul S, Robertson A, Flammer J. (2004) - Traumatic lesion of the optic nerve head by flying fish: a case report. Klin Monatsbl Augenheilkd. 2004 May;221(5):410-3.
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Matt Clarke: May 28, 2004Matt Clarke: 1.1.2007
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 | Editor-in-Chief, Matt Clarke, writes the regular Interesting Imports column on rare and unusual fish in the UK aquarium trade. He's kept fish for 30 years and holds a degree, two higher degrees and two diplomas in fish biology, taxonomy and computational biology. |
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