A woman was horrified to discover hundreds of maggots living in her nostrils after suffering from a blocked nose. The 59-year-old initially thought her discomfort was due to dust in the air, but after experiencing a nosebleed, she noticed dozens of tiny maggots emerging from her nose.
She immediately sought medical attention at Nakornping Hospital in northern Thailand, where an X-ray revealed foreign bodies in her nose. An endoscope procedure revealed over 100 maggots, which were promptly removed, dramatically improving her condition.
If left untreated, the insects could have spread, potentially causing disability or even death. In a similar case in 2022, a man discovered flesh-eating maggots in his ear canal after suffering from earache and itching.
The 64-year-old man presented to doctors with an ear obstruction, only to find his ear canal teeming with “numerous motile larvae”.
The patient was seen at Hospital Pedro Hispano in Matosinhos, Portugal and diagnosed with myiasis infection, a disturbing condition where flesh-eating larvae invade living tissue.
After a thorough rinse with water, medics at the hospital successfully extracted the larvae using specialised forceps.
Doctor Catarina Rato said of the ordeal: “The characteristics of the larvae, cylindrical, segmented, white-yellow coloured body… were compatible with the Cochliomyia hominivorax species.”
Known as the New World screw-worm fly, this parasite is notorious for its gruesome reproductive cycle, laying eggs on live animals, which are then consumed by the emerging larvae.
These larvae burrow into their host’s flesh, feasting away and causing severe damage, especially if they’re disturbed, leading to potentially fatal infections if not addressed quickly.
To combat the infection, the Portuguese patient was prescribed antibiotic ear drops, boric acid solution, and oral antibiotics, as per Doctor Rato’s treatment plan.
The ear drops utilise antibiotics and steroids to combat bacterial infections and alleviate inflammation. The boric acid in the solution creates an acidic environment within the ear, which inhibits microbial growth.
