Cold Finger: Raynaud Phenomenon Following Snakebite Envenoming by Nikolsky’s Viper (<i>Vipera berus nikolskii</i>)

Abstract

A field biologist was bitten by a female Nikolsky’s viper (Vipera berus nikolskii) in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. Two months later, the patient began to experience cold-induced vasospasm of the affected digit diagnosed as acquired Raynaud phenomenon. The patient had more than 30 occurrences during the single winter following the bite, but the signs and symptoms of Raynaud phenomenon disappeared with the end of winter. This report describes the case and puts it into context with the literature on the topic of toxin-induced peripheral vasospastic disorders and their potential importance in snakebite envenoming.

Keywords

• snakebite
• <i>Vipera</i>
• vasospasm
• Raynaud phenomenon
• long-term disability
• chronic manifestations of snakebite