Cutaneous myiasis from Dermatobia hominis

Abstract

We present a case report of cutaneous myiasis in a foreign traveler who was infected by Dermatobia hominis while visiting South America. This patient developed a painful furuncular lesion on the anterior scalp and noted that the lesion drained a serosanguinous fluid for more than a month before definitive treatment. Invasion of mammalian tissue by the larval forms of D. hominis typically results in the formation of a classic furuncular lesion. For persons who present with a lesion that contains a central draining stoma located on an exposed body surface, the diagnosis of myiasis should always be considered. In addition to the case report, we present a discussion of furuncular myiasis and describe the peculiar life cycle of the human botfly. We also describe the various therapies that may be employed for treating cutaneous myiasis, including surgical extraction of the larva and asphyxiation of the larva by application of petroleum jelly or other fat derivatives to the central stoma or breathing aperture.