Summary

Skin abscesses are commonly seen by primary care physicians in the outpatient setting. The majority of these soft tissue infections arise from penetration wounds by inanimate objects, but rarely, a living organism may present as a contributing factor. We present a case of an 11-year-old boy with an unusual skin abscess containing a chequered periwinkle marine snail (Littorina scutulata). The unique characteristics of this intertidal mollusk appear to have enabled it to survive in the subcutaneous tissue for a week, despite the hostile environment of a skin abscess. This case emphasises adherence to current professional guidelines that recommend incision and drainage of suspected skin abscesses and encourages clinicians to take a careful history of present illness which may aid in identification of subsequent cases of marine snails, or other living organisms, residing in skin abscesses.