Cutaneous myiasis caused by Cordylobia anthropophaga. 2006

Jernej Logar, and Barbara Soba, and Zlatko Parac
Department of Parasitology, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. jernej.logar@mf.uni-lj.si

Cutaneous myiasis is a temporary parasitic infestation of the skin of human and other vertebrates by fly larvae, primarily species of the flies Dermatobia and Cordylobia. In Central and South America cutaneous myiasis is mainly caused by the larvae of Dermatobia hominis; in Africa it is mostly due to the larvae of Cordylobia spp. We describe a case of cutaneous myiasis in a family who returned to Slovenia from a three-week trip to Ghana. The parasites, in tumor-like swellings about 1-2 cm in diameter and 0.5-1 cm high, were removed from the back of the 48-year-old man, the nose, shoulder and wrist of his 47-year-old wife, and the back of their 14-year-old daughter. The parasites were identified as larvae of the fly C. anthropophaga. After removal of the larvae, which were oval-shaped and about 8 mm long, the lesions healed in two weeks without further treatment. Human cases of cutaneous myiasis are most probably underreported because many remain undiagnosed or unpublished. Because of increasing travel to tropical and subtropical areas, clinical and laboratory staff will need to be more alert to the possibility of Cordylobia myiasis in patients with furuncle-like lesions, particularly in individuals who have recently returned from tropical Africa.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009198 Myiasis The invasion of living tissues of man and other mammals by dipterous larvae. Fly Strike,Maggot Infestations,Fly Strikes,Infestation, Maggot,Infestations, Maggot,Maggot Infestation,Myiases
D004175 Diptera An order of the class Insecta. Wings, when present, number two and distinguish Diptera from other so-called flies, while the halteres, or reduced hindwings, separate Diptera from other insects with one pair of wings. The order includes the families Calliphoridae, Oestridae, Phoridae, SARCOPHAGIDAE, Scatophagidae, Sciaridae, SIMULIIDAE, Tabanidae, Therevidae, Trypetidae, CERATOPOGONIDAE; CHIRONOMIDAE; CULICIDAE; DROSOPHILIDAE; GLOSSINIDAE; MUSCIDAE; TEPHRITIDAE; and PSYCHODIDAE. The larval form of Diptera species are called maggots (see LARVA). Flies, True,Flies,Dipteras,Fly,Fly, True,True Flies,True Fly
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012876 Skin Diseases, Parasitic Skin diseases caused by ARTHROPODS; HELMINTHS; or other parasites. Parasitic Skin Diseases,Disease, Parasitic Skin,Diseases, Parasitic Skin,Parasitic Skin Disease,Skin Disease, Parasitic

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