Lichtenberg figure in a patient with electric burn caused by lightning. A case report

Background: Lichtenberg figures are typical dermatological lesions on people who are struck by lightning, which are infrequent and extremely mortal. We present a case about a 41-year-old male who was struck by lightning while working outdoors, suffering first and third degree burns with the distinctive Lichtenberg pattern, also presenting thoracic trauma as consequence of high impact mechanism which caused fractures in fourth and fifth left ribs with no clinical repercussion. Despite high voltage and the injury mechanism, it was affected only 2% of total body surface area, with no injury at other organs or systems. Therefore, the patient had a favorable recovery. Because of the low evidence and incidence concerning the topic, it was added a small review about lightning injuries as well as the physiopathology and main features of Lichtenberg figure. Keywords: Lichtenberg figure, burns.