NASAL MYIASIS - MAGGOTS IN NOSE
Nasal- Nose
Myia- Fly
Therefore, Nasal myiasis or simply called maggots in nose, is literally flies in nose. It is one of the worst parasitic infection one can imagine in nose. Atrophic Rhinitis is one of the cause for attraction of flies.
DEFINITION
Nasal myiasis or Maggots in nose is a parasitic infestation in the nose of human beings.
The parasite continues to grow and multiply in the nose while simultaneously feeding on the surrounding tissues.
CAUSES
The Aetiology of Nasal myiasis is as follows:
- Maggots are larval form of flies. Commonly, flies are attracted towards open wounds and foul-smelling discharge from cases such as Atrophic Rhinitis, syphilis, leprosy.
- Upon attraction, the fly may lay around 200 eggs in one contact, which hatch into larva within 24 hours.
- Species belonging families Calliphoridae, Oestridae and Sarcophagidae are important families.
- Chyrosomya bezziana, also known as Old World Fly, belonging to Calliphoridae, is the most particular to be attracted towards foul-smelling discharge from nose as in Atrophic Rhinitis. Therefore, these little maggots in nose can be more than just itch.
CLINICAL FEATURES
Patients with maggots in nose present with following signs and symptoms :-
First 3-4 days:
- Intense irritation, sneezing, lacrimation and headache.
- Epistaxis- Blood-stained discharge
- Puffy lips and eyelids
After 3-4 day:
- Foul-smell
- Extensive destruction to nose, sinuses, soft tissue of eye, face and palate.
- Fistula formation
- Meningitis may develop- death occurs
TREATMENT
Management for maggots in nose can be done by:
- Chloroform water and oil to kill maggots
- Warm saline bath to remove killed maggots
- Manual removal of visible maggots
Labels: ENT, Third year MBBS
