Transient Hemi-paresthesia after Eating Puffer Fish (Fugu): A Case Report

The patient was a 64-year-old man who felt numbness of the tongue 30 minutes after eating puffer fish (fugu) prepared by an unqualified person. He then felt hotness on the left side of his face and head, followed by left hemi-paresthesia. The patient had obesity and dyslipidemia. On arrival at our hospital, 150 minutes after eating the fugu, his consciousness was clear, and his only abnormal vital sign was mild hypertension. At approximately four hours after eating the fugu, his hemi-paresthesia spontaneously subsided. He was admitted to our hospital and his post-admission course was uneventful. Brain magnetic resonance image revealed no specific findings. He was discharged on 2(nd) day of hospitalization without complaint. We presented the 1st case of transient hemi-paresthesia after eating fugu. The mechanism underlying the development of hemi-paresthesia may be pure sensory ischemic attack or fugu intoxication due to an asymmetric distribution of sodium channels.