[A rare case report of laryngeal leech infestation in a 70-year-old man]. / Cas rare de sangsue laryngée chez un homme de 70 ans.

Foreign bodies in the upper respiratory tract are one of the most difficult otolaryngological emergencies; leeches are a very rare foreign bodies in the world. We report the case of a 70-year-old man with no past medical history presenting with laryngeal dyspnea associated with low abundant paroxysmal hemoptysis. The patient underwent nasofibroscopy showing the presence of a living and mobile organism at the subglottic level evoking a leech. Extraction was carried out under local anesthesia using laryngoscope and Magill forceps. The presence of a leech as a foreign body in the upper respiratory tract should be suspected in patients with a recent history of consumption of non-potable water.

[Adult of Drosophila melanogaster parasitized in human nasal cavity: a case report].

We reported a case of adult Drosophila melanogaster parasitized in nasal cavity of a 81-year-old woman who was living in Xuancheng City, Anhui Province now. She was admitted for treatment of cerebral infarction and water accumulation in the lungs in 2014 June. The patient was also suffering from secretory otitis media, a history of hypertension and heart stents were placed in 2007. A foreign body was found in the left nasal cavity during the preoperative examination process, and then the part of the inflammatory tissue was removed through the nasal endoscopy, and sent to our department for identification. There are three adults of Drosophila in paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens. The parasites length is approximately 3mm, with huge red compound eyes. The end of the body is tip, with 5 ring lines in back, has no dark spots. The abdomen of the parasites have seven sections. Tarsus of foot I have no sex comb on base, and they are male adult of Drosophila melanogaster after identification. After a thorough reviewing of medical history, we knew the patient began to sneeze violently and frequently six years ago. But there was no clear or purulent nasal discharge flowing, therefore did not attract attention. After removing the parasites the sneezing symptoms were relieved, and had no abnormal symptoms in the follow-up 6 months.

Aspiration of an interesting foreign body: Myiasis.

Myiasis is a rare condition caused by the invasion of tissues by the larvae of flies. Many cases of myiasis involving various human organs have been reported. Tracheopulmonary or intratracheal myiasis is a very unusual and aberrant form of the disease in humans. We present a case of respiratory myiasis after aspiration of larvae by a healthy 8-month-old girl, which cannot be found in the English literature.

Aquatic leech as a rare cause of respiratory distress and hemoptysis.

This paper presents a 73 years old male with three weeks history of intermittent hemoptysis, dysphagia, dyspnea, stridor, and suffocations sensation. By means of fibrotic bronchoscopic examination, the cause was found to be a leech in the glottis. It was removed by injection of 4 ml lidocaine 2%. Infestation into the respiratory tract by a leech may become lethal because of hypoxia and death secondary to airway obstruction. A high index of suspicion of leech infestation sould be considered in patients presenting with hemoptysis, hoarseness and respiratory distress and a history of recent contact with fresh water streams.

[Leeches of the upper aerodigestive tract]. / Sangsues des voies aérodigestives supérieures.

INTRODUCTION: The leech is an aquatic worm living in fresh water, especially in tropical areas. It may be found exceptionally in the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) after consumption of spring water or water from natural wells, after swimming in still waters (lakes and dams). The author's objective was to study epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic, and evolutive aspects of this infestation. PATIENT AND METHODS: This prospective 2-year study was carried out from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008. We included all patients consulting at the emergency unit presenting with leeches in the UADT. RESULTS: Twenty patients living in rural settings were included: 16 children, mostly boys (sex ratio 3:1). All cases were recorded during the summer season, with 14 cases due to consumption of fresh water and six due to swimming in still waters. The delay between infestation and onset of symptoms ranged from 2 to 15 days. Leeches were found in the oropharynx (six cases), the nasopharynx (five cases), the hypopharynx (six cases), and the glottis (three cases). An anemia syndrome was noted in four patients. All parasites were removed. All patients were given local antiseptics and analgesics. Patients with anemia were given iron supplementation. The outcome was favorable for all patients. DISCUSSION: UADT leeches are not uncommon in Morocco. The infestation is usually observed in the summer. Symptoms vary according to UADT localization. The diagnosis should be made rapidly to prevent complications. Whatever the localization, removing the parasite is difficult. In laryngeal localizations induction general anesthesia is recommended, without intubation. Evolution after treatment is rapidly favorable, with complete disappearance of symptoms.

Human otoacariasis.

Accidental entry of insects and other arthropods is a common aetiology of aural foreign bodies (FB) presenting to accident and emergency departments. A retrospective study revealed that the FB in almost half (148) of 348 cases of aural FB investigated at the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital was an arthropod. The most common arthropod encountered was the cockroach, followed by a cattle tick. The high prevalence of tick infestation of the human ear canal (i.e. human otoacariasis) currently appears to be unique to the Malaysian state of Kelantan. The presentation of patients with intra-aural ticks, the methods used to remove the ticks, the complications encountered, and recommendations for an appropriate course of action in such cases are discussed.

Two unusual cases of a foreign body in the oral cavity caused by eating raw squid.

Foreign bodies are often encountered by otolaryngologists, but the oral cavity is considered a place where foreign bodies are rare because of its structural and functional features. We here present 2 cases with a foreign body in the oral cavity resulting from eating raw squid. In one of these 2 cases endoscopic examination revealed a gastric foreign body. The foreign bodies in the oral cavity were removed using forceps, together with surrounding mucous membrane. These foreign bodies were identified as sperm bulbs and discharging tube of sogittated calamary (Todarodes pacificus Steenstrup). Larva migrans of anisakiasis are to be differentiated from sperm bulbs; it is important to distinguish between the shape and size of the foreign body in our cases. If sperm bulbs are stuck in the oral cavity, it is necessary to remove them completely to ensure that inflammation is prevented. We stress the importance of checking not only anisakiasis but also sperm bulbs in humans who like eating raw squid.