INTESTINAL MYIASIS FROM RAT-TAILED MAGGOTS IN A WOMAN

Abstract

THE OCCURRENCE of gastric myiasis in humans has occasionally been reported in medical literature; however, not without considerable discussion regarding the authenticity of the reports from various observers. What appears to be an authentic case of its occurrence in a woman was briefly presented by us at the annual meeting of the Colorado State Medical Society held in Denver on Sept. 18-21, 1951.1 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE In 1909, McCampbell and Corper2cited a case of intestinal myiasis attributed to three species of dipterous larvae; among these was the rat-tailed maggot, Eristalis tenax. The patient was a farm woman living in Ohio. She had intermittent spells of abdominal distress over a period of years, accompanied by colicky pains, nausea, and vomiting. Cathartics were necessary to relieve constipation. After the administration of magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) larvae were usually passed in liquid stools. The authors give a brief history