Oral myiasis in an adult associated with filariasis and Hansen's disease

Abstract

Oral myiasis is a common parasitic infestation of live human and animals caused by species of dipteran fly larvae known as maggots which may be secondary to medical disease. This case involves a 51-year-old female, poorly debilitated with advanced periodontal disease infected by the dipteral larvae in the anterior maxillary region which belonged to the family Calliphoridae and Chrysomya bezziana species. This lady was neglected from her family and presented oral myiasis with the previous history of filariasis and Hansen's disease. Secondary infestations may occur in cancrum oris, oral extraction wounds, jaw bone wounds, oral leprosy lesion, filariasis, and carcinoma. Hansen's disease (leprosy) is bacterial in origin whereas filariasis (elephantiasis) is parasitic in origin like-myiasis. The treatment consisted of manual removal of the larvae by topical application of turpentine oil, oral therapy, and surgical debridement of the oral wound.

Keywords: Filariasis; Hansen's disease; flies larvae; maggots; oral myiasis.

Figure 1

(a and b) Intraoral appearance of the wound showing pus discharge at the perforated mucosa in the anterior maxilla. (c) The extracted maggot from the wound. (d) Microscopic examination revealing five fingers like process in the anterior spiracle, incomplete peritreme in the posterior spiracle, and straight spiracular slits

Figure 2

Photograph of hands affected by Hansen's disease

Figure 3

Photograph of left leg affected by filariasis