Botfly myiasis: case report and brief review

Abstract

The painful, boil-like lesion of furuncular myiasis is a result of the invasion of subcutaneous tissues by larvae of Dermatobia hominis, the human botfly. This arthropod is indigenous to Mexico, and Central and South America, and imported cases to the United States are increasing as travel to these regions continues to rise. There are several dozen reports of furuncular myiasis in the United States and Canadian literature since the initial description of this disease in 1920. None of the reports are in the surgical literature, which is surprising because the treatment of choice is surgical excision. Surgical removal sometimes results in damage to the larva with retention of larval fragments in the wound. The authors describe a patient and a novel approach that ensures removal of the intact larva and its surrounding burrow.