Lichtenberg figures and lightning: case reports and review of the literature.

The Lichtenberg figure (LF) is a recognizable skin pattern that is only seen in individuals struck by lightning. LF, also known as a ferning pattern, is a transient finding. It is not a burn, and biopsies of the skin reveal no pathologic changes.

Autonomic nervous system dysfunction in lightning and electrical injuries.

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction is a serious complication of lightning and electrical trauma (L/ET). The ANS regulates the normal vegetative functioning of many organ systems. When ANS is compromised after lightning and electric trauma, patients are vulnerable to serious medical problems.

Spectrum of neurologic complications of lightning injuries.

Lightning is responsible for a wide spectrum of neurologic complications. Many of the persistent symptoms require long-term neurorehabilitation. The lightning-related neurologic conditions are divided into four categories.

Botulism: update and review.

Botulism is both an old and an emerging disease. Over 100 years ago, the classic food-borne type was found to be caused by ingesting contaminated food containing the toxin produced by a bacteria. In the first half of the 20th century a second form, wound botulism, was discovered.

Mountain medical mystery. Unwitnessed death of a healthy young man, caused by lightning.

A healthy 20-year-old man failed to return home after a jog in the Colorado mountains. His lifeless body was found the next day on an exposed mountain slope. The differential diagnosis in such mysterious, unwitnessed mountain deaths includes cardiac arrhythmia, cerebral hemorrhage, pulmonary embolism, seizures, trauma, high-altitude sickness, and hypothermia.

Lightning injuries in sports: situations to avoid.

There is no absolute protection against lightning because of its random and capricious nature. However, the risk of being struck by lightning can be substantially reduced. There are general safety rules that apply to all athletic and recreational events.

Hazards of bicycling: from handlebars to lightning.

The bicycle, an invention that provides joy and transportation to millions of people, can also be a source of disabling injuries and death. The victims of bicycle accidents are usually in good health and often young. Most of the fatal head injury cases are teenagers.

The life, legacy, and premature death of Felix Mendelssohn.

Felix Mendelssohn is one of the great classical composers of all time. During his short lifetime in the first half of the nineteenth century, he reached enormous heights as a composer, conductor, and leader in the world of music. Nearly one hundred years after his death, the Nazi regime attempted, unsuccessfully, to erase his music and his memory from history.

Lightning injuries during snowy conditions.

Skiers and other snow sports enthusiasts can become lightning casualties. Two such accidents are reported, one being fatal. There are fewer warning signals of impending lightning strikes in winter-like conditions.

Clinical spectrum of botulism.

Botulism is a paralyzing disease caused by the toxin of Clostridium botulinum. The toxin produces skeletal muscle paralysis by producing a presynaptic blockade to the release of acetylcholine. Recent studies have pinpointed the site of action of the several types of botulinum neurotoxin at the nerve terminal.

A bolt from the blue: lightning strike to the head.

We report an extraordinary event of a lightning strike to the head of a helmeted bicyclist that occurred under fair weather conditions with a cloudless sky. The patient sustained a cardiac arrest and hypoxic encephalopathy with residual neurologic impairment. With the availability of highly developed meteorologic equipment, we were able to determine that the lightning "bolt from the blue" probably originated in a thunderstorm that was about 16 km away and obscured by the mountains.