Oral Myiasis is a Potential Risk in Patients with Special Health Care Needs

Myiasis Encountered in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity: A Case Report

Myiasis is a rare parasitic condition, caused by fly larvae infesting human tissues. Its consequences can be severe, as deafness, blindness, extensive tissue loss, and even death can occur due to the infestation. We present a case of myiasis in a 62-year-old Pakistani woman with advanced well-differentiated oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) undergoing palliative chemotherapy. The patient presented with an extensive, necrotic lesion in the submental and submandibular region infested with live larvae. Management included mechanical removal over three sessions and ivermectin. Once all the larvae were eradicated, the patient was referred to the plastic surgery department for reconstruction. This case report highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for myiasis in patients with OSCC, particularly those with extensive ulcerated lesions. Educating at-risk individuals and healthcare providers on myiasis and the importance of wound hygiene is crucial for reducing the burden of this preventable complication.

Neonatal oral myiasis caused by the larvae of Sarcophaga ruficornis (Diptera: Sarcophagidae): a case report

Background

Myiasis is caused by dipterous larvae, and rarely affects the mouth. Diagnosis by traditional means is easy to be confused with other similar species. Here, we report a case of oral myiasis, in a 5-month-old infant who was diagnosed by morphological examination and molecular biological methods.

Case presentation

A 5-month old infant with acute myeloid leukemia was admitted due to recurrent skin masses for more than 4 months. The infant had lip swelling, which prevented him from closing the mouth and membranes were present in his mouth and there were also oral ulcers and erosions. Ten maggots were found in the mouth and one in the ear canal with pus flowing out and were confirmed as the third stage larvae of Sarcophaga ruficornis by morphological examination and a comparison of sequence of cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) gene. After removal of the maggots and chemotherapy, the infant ’s condition was gradually improved.

Conclusions

To the best of our our knowledge, this is the first neonatal oral myiasis case reported in China and its diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion. Microscopy combined with specific DNA sequence analysis is an effective technological tool to provide rapid diagnoses of the larva specimen and cases of rare diseases, as illustrated in the current case.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12879-021-06742-z.

Nosocomial Myiasis Caused by Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and Neonatal Myiasis by Sarcophaga spp. (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) in Mexico

The presence of nosocomial myiasis reflects a lack of adequate medical attention, due to the physical facilities and/or the health care personnel. Patients requiring special attention are more susceptible, such as those with a loss of consciousness, assisted mechanical ventilation, tracheal tubes, or nasogastric probes. Nosocomial myiasis is a rare event that has a greater occurrence in the hospitals of poor and developing countries. The two cases herein described represent the first report of nosocomial myiasis in Mexico. The causal agents were found to be Lucilia sericata and Sarcophaga spp. The taxonomical identification of the larvae of the second and third instar was based on the morphology of the cephaloskeleton, anterior spiracles, and peritreme plaques.

Nosocomial oral myiasis in ICU patients: occurrence of three sequential cases

Myiasis is the infestation of living vertebrates or humans tissues by dipterous larvae. The oral cavity is rarely affected by this infestation and the circumstances which can lead to oral myiasis include persistent mouth opening together with poor hygiene. Such infestations have been reported mainly in developing countries such as in Asia. Although rare, nosocomial myiasis must be noted carefully, especially in case of hospitalized patients. This report describes three cases of nosocomial oral myiasis in hospitalized patients in ICU (intensive care unit) in Tabriz, North West of Iran.

Oral Myiasis: A Rare Case Report and Literature Review

Myiasis is a rare disease caused by infestation of tissue by larvae of flies. Oral myiasis is still "rare" and "unique" owing to the fact that oral cavity rarely provides the necessary habitat for a larval lifecycle. Herein, we present a case of extensive gingival myiasis in a 12-year-old mentally retarded, epileptic child as well as a literature review.

Oral myiasis in a maxillofacial trauma patient

Myiasis is a rare disease primarily caused by the invasion of tissue by larvae of certain dipteran flies. Oral myiasis is still more “rare” and “unique” owing to the fact that oral cavity rarely provides the necessary habitat conducive for a larval lifecycle. Common predisposing factors are poor oral hygiene, halitosis, trauma, senility, learning disabilities, physically and mentally challenged conditions. Oral myiasis can lead to rapid tissue destruction and disfigurement and requires immediate treatment. Treatment consists of manual removal of maggots from the oral cavity after application of chemical agents. Good sanitation, personal and environmental hygiene and cleanliness and special care for debilitated persons are the best methods to prevent oral myiasis. This case report describes the presentation of oral myiasis caused by musca nebulo (common house fly) in a 40-year-old male patient, with recent maxillofacial trauma. The patient was treated by manual removal larvae by topical application of turpentine oil, followed by surgical debridement of the wound and open reduction and internal fixation of the fracture.

A case of oral myiasis caused by Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in Korea

We report here a case of oral myiasis in the Republic of Korea. The patient was a 37-year-old man with a 30-year history of Becker's muscular dystrophy. He was intubated due to dyspnea 8 days prior to admission to an intensive care unit (ICU). A few hours after the ICU admission, 43 fly larvae were found during suction of the oral cavity. All maggots were identified as the third instars of Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) by morphology. We discussed on the characteristics of myiasis acquired in Korea, including the infection risk and predisposing factors.