Massive orbital and ocular invasion in ophthalmomyiasis

Abstract

Myiasis in humans is caused by the infestation of tissues by the larval form of the Diptera fly.I.2 Infestation of the periorbital and orbital struc­ tures is called ophthalmomyiasis externa and that of the eyeball ophthalmomyiasis interna. 3 Most of the cases of ophthalmomyiasis externa reported to date were due to infestation of the conjunctiva; the num­ ber of cases of orbital involvement is very limit­ ed. I .2.4-8 In their review of orbital myiasis published in 1986 Kersten, Shoukrey and Tabbara l found only 16 well-documented cases in the literature, of which 2 were reported from India. Since that report, no more than 10 cases of orbital myiasis have been reported. 3 ,5-8 Massive involvement and destruction of both orbital and ocular contents, with probable intracranial involvement, is even rarer. We report such a case, in which more than 300 maggots were removed.