Oropharyngeal leech infestation and therapeutic options

Abstract

This is a case report about a rare oropharyngeal foreign body causing oropharyngeal symptoms such as sore throat, dysphagia and hemoptysis. We reported a 7 year-old boy who had ingested a leech from a bottle which had been filled with water and it had attached to the palate within 4 days. The leech was identified as approximately 3 cm in length. Leech was removed under premedication by using monopolar cauterization. Although child infestation by a leech in the upper respiratory tract is very rare, it should be investigated when contaminated liquids are ingested. Electro cauterization should be borne in mind as a therapeutic option in the treatment of leech infestations in the upper respiratory tract under pre-medication in pediatric patients.