A case of living leech in nasal cavity

Bloody Wiggler, a Case Report of a Leech in the Pharynx

Leeches are an unusual cause of epistaxis and haemoptysis that should be considered in places with poor access to water. In this case report, we present a 7-year-old girl previously mismanaged as bacterial pharyngitis but later discovered to be a leech in the pharynx. She had ingested a leech from a spring that caused a foreign body sensation in the throat, frequent throat clearing, epistaxis, haemoptysis, and mild anaemia. The 3cm long leech was successfully removed by using Tilley forceps without any anaesthesia and with complete resolution of symptoms.

Case Report: Endoscope-Assisted Bilateral Nasal Leech Retrieval in a Dog

A non-descript male dog was presented with symptoms, such as chronic recurrent epistaxis, sneezing, and episodes of nasal leech infestation from the past 3 months. The dog was subjected to basic clinical examination, hemato-biochemistry test, and radiographic examination before rhinoscopy. Rhinoscopy was performed with Karl Storz's 5-mm video-otoscope under general anesthesia. Leech infestation in the nasal cavity was found to be the cause of the epistaxis under rhinoscopic examination. The endoscopic guided retrieval of the leech from both the nostrils was successfully done with help of grasping forceps without any major complication. The video-otoscope-guided retrieval of nasal leeches was quite convenient and also provide the exact localization of the nasal leech.