A case-report of oral-stings by spermatophores of a squid, Tadorodes pacificus Steenstrup

Abstract

A case-report of oral-stings by spermatophores of a squid, Tadorodes pacificus was described. The male patient was one of the authors of this report, aged 26 years, who was injured in his oral cavity immediately after eating uncooked internal-organs of a squid by mistake. He complained of severe pain and foreign-body sensation in the oral cavity. On examination, more than 15,small spindle-shaped stings stuck in mucous membrane of the tongue, soft palate, and upperlip. Stings were removed surgically in hospital, and they were identified as squid spermatophores by their shapes and containment of sperms. In addition to this case, two other cases with similar symptoms were identified as oral-stings by squid spermatophores. These cases suggest that fresh squids should be carefully prepared before eating them as "sashimi" or in raw.