[Case clinically diagnosed as depressive state after being stung by a lumpfish (Inimicus japonicus)].

We experienced and report a case where the patient was clinically diagnosed as depressive state which developed after being stung by a lumpfish-a kind of Japanese stonefish (Inimicus japonicus). Stonefish venom causes various symptoms ranging from local swelling with pain to general disturbances such as respiratory and heart failure with marked hypotension, cardiac perturbation, and neurologic damage including general seizure and coma. In the current case, the patient complained of local swelling with pain in the early stage, but subsequently he developed depressive state, and finally he began to have suicidal idea. When a patient is encountered who expresses severe depressive symptoms with suicidal idea, we hope that the patient can be examined by a psychiatrist, since the patient may have a serious accident or commit suicide during the process of the disease. On the other hand, it is easy to miss such depressive patients in cases where the depressive state appears after the appearance of toxic symptoms, and this is especially true in cases where the patient seems to be recovering naturally. In conclusion, we hope that medical institutions cooperate in analyzing the pathology of this toxicosis, since each institution rarely encounters such depressive patients.