Botfly myiasis: a case report

Travel-Related Cutaneous Myiasis: A Case Report

BACKGROUND

Human myiasis, the infestation of tissues by dipterous larvae, commonly manifests as painful, raised skin lesions, particularly in tropical regions such as Latin America, where Dermatobia hominis (the human botfly) is a frequent cause. With increased international travel, cases of travel-related myiasis have become more prevalent, necessitating awareness among healthcare providers in non-endemic regions.

METHODS

We present a case of cutaneous myiasis in a 69-year-old male who returned to the United States from Belize. The patient exhibited a painful skin lesion on his right knee, initially suspected to be an insect bite. The diagnosis was confirmed through ultrasound imaging, which revealed the presence of a subcutaneous larva. Conservative larva removal efforts failed, leading to surgical extraction of the larva.

RESULTS

The surgical intervention successfully removed the larva in its entirety, with the wound healing well after the procedure. Pathological examination confirmed the larva as Dermatobia hominis. The patient experienced a satisfactory recovery, with no complications observed during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

This case underscores the importance of considering myiasis in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with painful skin lesions following travel to tropical regions. As globalization increases, healthcare providers should be vigilant in recognizing and appropriately treating travel-related diseases such as myiasis to ensure prompt and effective care.

The first reported case of furuncular myiasis in Syria with no international travel history of the patient to an endemic area

Myiasis is defined as the infestation of any part of the body by fly larvae. It is particularly common in tropical and subtropical regions. Cutaneous myiasis is the most common manifestation of this infestation. Here, we report a 21-year-old Syrian female who presented with a 10-day history of painful 2 ulcer-like lesions on her scalp and was diagnosed with furuncular myiasis, which included more than 20 larvae. The patient had no history of international travel to myiasis-endemic areas before the onset of the lesions. She probably acquired the infestation while visiting a cattle farm located in a rural region east of Hama governorate. Seborrheic dermatitis developed on her scalp after the myiasis treatment was performed.

Botfly Myiasis Masquerading as Dacryocystitis

Cutaneous myiasis is an infection most commonly caused globally by Dermatobia hominus , the human botfly, which is endemic to Central and South America. In North America, the most common cause of cutaneous myiasis is infestation with the larvae of Cuterebra , the North American botfly. The authors describe a 44-year-old man who presented with a 1-month history of intermittent, severe, boring pain along the side of his nose that progressed to swelling and redness along his right inferior orbital rim and lacrimal sac. CT imaging showed a rim-enhancing collection at the right medial canthus with surrounding phlegmonous changes communicating with the skin. Pathologic evaluation revealed curvilinear pigmented material associated with a granulomatous and eosinophil-rich inflammatory infiltrate, consistent with botfly myiasis. This case describes the pathogenesis of the botfly infestation in humans, as well as the clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic features of this rare orbital infection, with an emphasis on its treatment.

Point-of-care ultrasound utilized for foreign body in a toe: A case report of botfly larvae

BACKGROUND

Myiasis, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is infection with fly larvae commonly occurring in tropical and subtropical areas. Whereas the presentation of skin infection with organisms such as Dermatobia hominis (human botfly) is more easily recognized in these regions, identification of myiasis in the United States is difficult due to its rarity. Due to unspecific signs and symptoms, myiasis may initially be mistaken for other conditions, like cellulitis.

CASE REPORT

This case details a patient with pain, swelling, drainage, and erythema of the right second toe. The patient recently returned from Belize and reported an insect bite to the area approximately 1 month prior. She had been seen by health care professionals twice prior to presenting to our Emergency Department (ED) due to increasing pain. At those visits, the patient was prescribed antibiotics, failing to improve her symptoms. In the ED, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) of the soft tissue was performed and showed evidence of a foreign body consistent with cutaneous myiasis. Given the patient's history of travel to Belize and known insect bite, it is prudent to have an increased suspicion for cutaneous myiasis. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: To prevent a delay in diagnosis and unnecessary antibiotics, clinicians should have a high level of suspicion for botfly if a patient reports recent travel in an endemic region and pain disproportionate to an insect bite. POCUS contributes to a more efficient recognition of the disease.

The Botfly, A Tropical Menace: A Distinctive Myiasis Caused by Dermatobia hominis

Dermatobia hominis, also known as the human botfly, is native to tropical and subtropical Central and South America and seen in travelers from endemic to temperate regions including the United States and Europe. Cutaneous infestation botfly myiasis involves the development of D. hominis larvae in the skin and is common in tropical locations. The distinct appearance of a cutaneous D. hominis infestation facilitates early diagnosis and intervention where cases are common. However, the identification of D. hominis in temperate regions may prove challenging due to its rarity. D. hominis may be misdiagnosed as folliculitis, an epidermal cyst, or an embedded foreign object with secondary impetigo. One should have a heightened suspicion in someone returning from a vacation in an endemic area, such as Belize. Here we describe the presentation, differential diagnosis, and treatment and encourage enhanced preventative measures among tourists when visiting tropical and subtropical regions. Additionally, we propose a novel classification system for assessing the various stages of infestation and suggest that patients reporting travel to Latin America and experiencing pain disproportionate to an insect bite should lead physicians to consider myiasis caused by D. hominis.

Human Botfly: A Case Report and Overview of Differential Diagnosis

Dermatobia hominis, commonly known as the human botfly, is native to Tropical America. As such, cutaneous infestation by its developing larvae, or myiasis, is quite common in this region. The distinct dermatological presentation of D hominis myiasis allows for its early recognition and noninvasive treatment by locals. However, it can prove quite perplexing for those unfamiliar with the lesion's unique appearance. Common erroneous diagnoses include the following: folliculitis, benign dermatocyst, and embedded foreign body with localized infection. We present a patient who acquired D hominis while she was in Belize. In this report, we discuss the presentation, differential diagnosis, diagnostic tests, and therapeutic approaches of human botfly lesion to raise the awareness about human botfly.

A Rare Case of Labial Myiasis caused by Dermatobia hominis

The aim of this article is to present a rare case of myiasis caused by Dermatobia hominis. Myiasis is a disease caused by invasion of tissues of animals and humans by larval stages of dipterous (2-winged) flies. There are few reports of oral myiasis in the literature, mostly related to Cochliomyia hominivorax larvae. We present a case of a 53-year-old man with painful swelling of the left lower lip that was confirmed to be myiasis caused by D. hominis. Though more common in tropical and subtropical regions of North and South America, myiasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of subcutaneous masses among residents or travelers in endemic areas.

[Dermatobia hominis infection in a 3-year-old child]

In the context of increasing travel to the tropics, outpatient services are more frequently confronted with non-domestic diseases in Europe. A 3-year old child presented with a painful tumor of the scalp. After incision of the furuncle-like lesion, we extracted a larva of the botfly Dermatobia hominis. Botflies are mainly encountered in Central and South America; they should be considered if patients demonstrate a furuncle-like lesion and have returned from a holiday in these endemic regions.

Furuncular myiasis from Dermatobia hominus: a case of human botfly infestation

BACKGROUND

Travelers to tropical regions are at risk for a myriad of exotic illnesses. Malaria and dengue are diagnoses that are associated with insect bites, in particular, mosquito bites, acquired while traveling in foreign, tropical countries. Infestation with Dermatobia hominus, the human botfly, endemic to South and Central America, is usually transferred via a mosquito vector. The human botfly should be considered in patients who have traveled to these endemic regions and present with a mosquito bite history and non-healing skin lesions.

OBJECTIVES

We present this case to increase awareness among emergency physicians regarding furuncular myiasis from the human botfly.

CASE REPORT

A 39-year-old pregnant woman presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with an intensely pruritic lesion to the right calf and mild systemic symptoms 6 weeks after travel to Belize. The lesion she thought was a mosquito bite had persisted despite escalating treatment modalities and had been incorrectly diagnosed by multiple physicians.

CONCLUSION

Parasitic disease is not always a systemic process. Botfly infestation presents as local boil-like lesions that are irritating and uncomfortable. Once correctly identified, it can be easily treated in the ED.

[A furoncular ankle cellulitis in a teenager with a difference: Dermatobia hominis]

We report a case of botfly myiasis presenting as an ankle cellulitis in a teenager returning from Guyana. Main clinical features and therapeutic approaches are described.