English

Abstract

Abstract Myiasis is a rare condition caused due to larvae infestation of body tissues. This can be caused by several species of Dipteran fly larvae and may be secondary to serious medical conditions. Common predisposing factors for oral myiasis are incompetent lips, poor oral hygiene, severe halitosis, anterior open bite, mouth breathing, facial trauma, extraction wounds, ulcerative lesions and carcinoma. Here, we describe a case of oral myiasis in the anterior palatal region in a mentally challenged patient caused by the larvae of Musca Nebulo whose clinical features, management and treatment outcome are discussed and case was followed up periodically. Keywords: Oral myiasis; House fly; Necrosis Introduction The term myiasis (Greek: myi= fly, asis= disease) is applied to infestation of living tissues of humans and animals, by dipterous larvae [1]. Zumpt descriptively defined myiasis as “the infestation of live human and vertebrate animals with dipterous larvae, which, at least for a certain period, feed on the host’s dead or living tissue, liquid body substances, or ingested food” [2]. Myiasis is well recognized in the animals, but rare in humans [2,3]. Human myiasis is extremely rare in developed countries, but it is not an uncommon parasitic infestation in the tropics and subtropics [4]. Myiasis can target any body tissue or cavity that is accessible to egg-laying and development of larvae, but most common anatomic sites involved are the nose, eye, lung, ear, anus, vagina, and more rarely, the mouth [3,5].Oral myiasis was first described by Laurence in 1909 [5]. Predisposing factors for development of oral myiasis are anterior open bite, mouth breathing, neglected mandibular fractures, Cancrum Oris, extraction sockets and patient with neurologic deficit, diabetes, and peripheral vascular disease [3].In this article a case of oral myiasis in the anterior palatal region in a patient with neurological deficit is presented.