A leech lived in a man’s nasopharynx, the upper part of the throat, for more than a month, presumably gaining entry after he washed his face in a stream, a doctor said earlier this month.
The 56-year-old man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), went to see a doctor at the Chu Shang Show Chwan Hospital in Nantou County due to a strange sensation in his throat.
During the oral checkup, Tsai’s doctor saw a black tail wiggling at the back of his mouth, which an endoscopy revealed to be a 4cm-long leech attached to his left nasal cavity.
Photo courtesy of Chu Shang Show Chwan Hospital
The leech was estimated to have been living in Tsai’s nasopharynx for one to two months.
After the application of anesthetics at the site, the leech shrank, fell off and was eventually expelled in a sneeze.
Hospital superintendent and otolaryngologist Chuang Pi-kun (莊碧焜) said that when Tsai washed his face in a stream, the leech likely wormed into his body through his nose, mouth or eyes, before attaching itself to the mucosa to suck blood.
Leeches live in freshwater environments, such as streams, ponds or paddy fields, he said.
The hospital had previously treated three other leech-attachment cases, all in in the nasal cavities, Chuang said.
However, Tsai was the hospital’s first case of someone who had a leech attached the soft palate in the nasopharynx — which is between the nasal cavities and the throat — showing that leeches attach to more areas than previously thought, he said.
People with a leech usually have symptoms such as nasal obstruction, nosebleeds or itchy nose, as well as a violent cough or a hoarse voice, Chuang said.
The condition can be as mild as experiencing discomfort or bleeding, or as severe and life-threatening as obstructing airways, he added.
Leeches’ saliva has anesthetic agents that often make people unable to feel the leech until it has grown bigger or their symptoms get more severe, Chuang said.
People who suspect leech attachment must not try to pull it or dig it out, in case the leech goes deeper or splits with its residue left inside the body, which can cause infection, he said.
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