Advanced stage of oral myiasis in children: a clinical case report

Human myiasis is characterized by larval infestation of body tissues or cavities of live individuals. Although most frequently observed in underdeveloped and tropical countries, reports of human myiasis have been encountered throughout the world. Conventional treatment is the mechanical removal of the larvae, one by one, which is painful and embarrassing and repugnant to both health professional and patient. Even though human myiasis is not considered rare, most dental professionals have very little knowledge of the diagnosis and treatment of this pathology. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to report a case of advanced-stage oral myiasis in a 9-year-old patient treated at a health and dentistry clinic. Diagnosis was based on visual observation of Cochliomyia hominivorax larvae, a dipterous fly of the Calliphoridae family, which were between the second and third stages of development. Predisposition factors include lack of information, malnutrition, poor oral hygiene, preexistence of oral lesions, and severe halitosis, which decisively influence the appearance and development of oral myiasis. A brief review of the literature is also included, in which the importance of early clinical diagnosis, myiasis etiology, and possible associations with other pathologies and different types of treatment are discussed.