Sea urchin injuries to the hand: a case report and review of the literature

Sea urchin injuries to the hand are uncommon. A variety of home remedies can be found on the internet and other sources for dealing with this problem in the acute setting. Many long term complications such as granulomas, arthritis, and tenosynovitis can result from a neglected sea urchin injury. We report an unusual case of a patient with a remote sea urchin injury who presented with ulnar digital nerve paresthesias. A traumatic neuroma was found on surgical exploration. We review the literature on injuries to the hand caused by sea urchins and their management. Management of sea urchin injuries to the hand with retained spines requires surgical debridement in order to prevent significant long term complications including stiffness, tenosynovitis, granulomas, and arthritis.