Exuberant oral myiasis caused by Musca domestica (Housefly)

Abstract

Tissues of oral cavity, when invaded by the parasitic larvae of houseflies, the condition is called as oral myiasis. It is a rare disease that is most common in developing countries and is associated with conditions leading to persistent mouth opening along with poor oral hygiene, suppurative lesions, severe halitosis and maxillofacial trauma. A case of exuberant oral myiasis in a 42-year-old female patient is described here. She reported with swelling, pain, mobility of teeth and foul odor. Diagnosis was based primarily on history and clinical features. Management included use of turpentine oil, mechanical removal of larvae followed by extraction of mobile teeth and curettage along with supportive antibiotic and analgesic therapy. Supportive nutritional supplements and timely institution of treatment encompassing removal of the offending larvae and carious teeth with proper education and motivation of the patient including oral hygiene instructions led to the resolution of these lesions.

Incidence of myiasis among humans—a review

“…The same fly was found to be responsible for causing other extreme cases of oral myiasis from India (Maheshwari and Naidu 2010;Joseph et al 2014) and from Malaysia (Lee 1985). Cases of oral myiasis due to the common housefly-Musca domestica-had been reported from India in patients with cerebral palsy (Pereira et al 2010;Khan and Shah 2013;Parwani et al 2014). …”

Intensive cutaneous myiasis due to Musca domestica in a patient with Alzheimer disease: a rare larval infestation in a temperate zone

“…In the reported cases, myiasis was associated with persistent mouth opening and poor hygiene, leading to larval infestation with intraoral swelling, necrotic areas and mucosal tunnels. 4 In our case, the skin maceration and inflammation added to the patient's lack of hygiene was a favourable situation for the housefly to lay its eggs. The patient's skin was inflamed, and eroded over the sacrum, and similar cases in the literature usually mention ulcers as the site of infestation.…”

“…Cutaneous infestation with M. domestica is much more infrequent, particularly in temperate countries. In the reported cases, myiasis was associated with persistent mouth opening and poor hygiene, leading to larval infestation with intraoral swelling, necrotic areas and mucosal tunnels . In our case, the skin maceration and inflammation added to the patient's lack of hygiene was a favourable situation for the housefly to lay its eggs.…”

Myiasis in Elderly Involving Oral and Nasal Cavities—Diagnosis and Treatment

“…Myiasis of the oral cavity is related to poor oral hygiene, severe halitosis, alcoholism, senility, suppurating lesions, intellectual disability, hemiplegia, and mouth breathing during sleep. 2, 3 We report 2 clinical cases of senile patients with oral and nasal myiasis treated by mechanical removal of larvae associated with the use of ivermectin and antibiotics.…”