Suspected intestinal myiasis due to Dryomyza formosa in a Japanese schizophrenic patient with symptoms of delusional parasitosis

Abstract

A third-stage larva of Dryomyza formosa (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Dryomyzidae) was found in the fresh stool of a 27-year-old Japanese woman resident of Shiobara, 150 km north of Tokyo, on 16 November 1998. This is the first record of myiasis due to Dryomyza. Detection of this maggot (2cm long) by the patient herself was associated with her longstanding delusion of abdominal parasitosis as a symptom of chronic schizophrenia. Circumstantial evidence agreed with this being a genuine case of intestinal myiasis, apparently due to accidental ingestion of the insect, with no signs that the patient had contrived the report, nor that the maggot had invaded the stool post-defaecation. This case draws attention to the likelihood that some personality states are predisposed to noticing and reporting myiasis, when it occurs. We review other conditions (mental and physical) that are more prone to myiasis.

Incidence of myiasis among humans—a review

“…The patient passed stools containing live fly larvae for 2 days but was otherwise asymptomatic. Intestinal myiasis due to Dryomyza formosa was reported in a schizophrenic patient with symptoms of delusional parasitosis from Japan (Chigusa et al 2001). A collective analysis of 54 cases of human myiasis from 1995 to 2001 was published in China (Cipeng 2002), three of which were of intestinal myiasis.…”

Cutaneous myiasis

“…[92][93][94][95][96][97][98][99][100][101] The clinical manifestations of wound myiasis vary according to the affected body area and the extent of the infestation. More severe cases may be accompanied by fever, chills, pain, bleeding from the infested site, secondary infection, neutrophil leukocytosis, and hypereosinophilia.…”

Nosocomial myiasis due to Sarcophaga peregrina in an intensive care unit (ICU) in Japan

“…We have already reported both nosocomial and non-nosocomial myiases; caused by Lucilia sericata (Chigusa and Sugiyama, l987;Chigusa et al 1996Chigusa et al , 1998aChigusa et al , 1999Chigusa et al , 2002, L. illustris (Chigusa et al, 1996), Sarcophaga Peragrina (Chigusa et al 1994), S. similis (Chigusa et al 1994), S.metanura (Chigusa et al 1997), S, rttficornis (Chigusa et aL, 1998b) and DTzyomyza formosa (Chigusa et al 2000). parastomal sclerite short (Ishijima, 1967).…”