Envenimations par animaux venimeux marins en France métropolitaine

The epidemiology of marine envenomations in France and Europe is poorly known, generally because of the benignity of the lesions that are treated in the rescue stations present on the beaches. Physicians in general are rarely consulted on this type of pathology. Nevertheless a better knowledge of the frequent envenomations on our metropolitan littoral would allow simple actions of prevention bound for the tourists and some professionals. In this review the envenomations due to the osseous fish punctures are detailed (weever fishes, catfishes), and of cartilaginous marine fishes (stingrays), as well as with the bites of marine animals (moray eels, cephalopods), and lesions created by the invertebrates (sea urchins, jellyfishes, anemones). The envenomations met in tropical seas, and thus the envenomations induced by exotic marine animals imported for the aquariums are not treated here.