Burn by ball lightning. Case report

We present below a case of globular ray burn in a pediatric patient. The objective of this case report is to make known general aspects of lightning burns and report on a natural phenomenon rarely seen: ball lightning. A 3-year-old male patient who on June 2017 suffered a burn in the abdomen caused by a ball of lightning that was introduced into the home through the fireplace. The patient entered the burn unit. During the hospital stay, no significant alterations were found, other than the striking dermal lesion in the abdomen known as Lichtenberg lines or figures. The patient was discharged within a few days without any complication and with the dermal lesion resolved. Ball lightning remains unknown to most of the general population, however, it is a documented phenomenon, but little studied compared to other natural phenomena. We consider that prevention remains a cornerstone in the genesis of burns, even those generated by electricity.