Myiasis in patients with head and neck cancer: Seldom described but commonly seen

Human myiasis is a parasitosis usually found in tropical and underdeveloped countries. It usually affects ulcerated lesions or devitalized tissues, developing after deposition of dipterous eggs. Patients with head and neck cancer are at risk to develop secondary myiasis. A representative percentage of those patients manifest with neglected and advanced tumors, usually in exposed areas and with necrotic tissues. Few case reports and small series constitute the available information about this parasitosis. Most studies have been conducted in patients with skin carcinomas, although myiasis has already been described in association with other head and neck malignancies. The authors present a series of 12 cases of myiasis secondary to head and neck cancer in addition to a literature review.