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ENT

Nasal Myiasis : Maggots in Nose

  • November 5, 2010
  • 2 min read
  • 5065 Views
Nasal Myiasis : Maggots in Nose

Other Names:

  • Myiasis narium
  • Maggots in nose
  • Larvae in nose

Myiasis is the infestation of tissue with fly larvae, commonly referred to as maggots. Maggots infest nose, nasopharynx and paranasal sinuses causing extensive destruction and obvious deformity.

Etiology or Cause:
Flies especially of genus Chrysomyia – Chrysomia bezianna(other common species are Lucilia hominivora or Sacrophaga Georginia) are attracted by the foul smelling discharge emanating from case of atrophic rhinitis, syphilis, leprosy or infected wounds and lay eggs about 200 at a time, which within 24 hours hatch into larvae.

The predisposing factors for Nasal Myiasis are:

  • Poor nourishment with poor hygiene
  • Atrophic rhinitis
  • Leprosy in the nose
  • Diabetes with purulent sinus infections
  • Midline granulomatous lesions involving the nose
  • Malignancy involving the nose
  • Syphilitic disease involving the nose

Clinical features (Signs and Symptoms):

1st 3-4 days:

  • intense irritation, sneezing, lacrimation
  • headache
  • blood-stained discharge from nostrils
  • puffy eyelids and lips
  • epistaxis

3rd or 4th day:

  • maggots may crawl out of nose
  • foul smelling serosanguinous discharge
  • extensive destruction of nose, sinuses, soft tissue of face, palate and eyeball
  • fistulae may form in the palate or around the nose
  • death may occur from meningitis

Treatment:

  • Visible maggots should be picked up with forceps
  • Instillation of chloroform water/ether and oil (liquid paraffin) kills them
  • Nasal docuhe with warm saline is used to remove slough, crusts and dead maggots
  • Avoid contact of the patient with flies by use of mosquito nets
  • Nasal hygiene for prevention
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21 Comments

  • Holy shit me to I am f’n infested. my throat hurts cough now bad headaches blurred vision. the fuckers are going to get me ‘ all over me in and out!! god dam shit flies my neighbor has 30-40 pigeons raising dogs. found bird mites on me. I do not like going to my back yard next to his excessively large bird house. My problems came about when he brought them here it has taken years to get this bad my friend is also having trouble.
    This is a public health issue like Covid.

  • I have this terrible smell coming from my nose and breath. Since 3 years ago when I fell into my cat litter box, I told the dr. I have some kind of parasite not only in my stomach, but eyes nose, mouth. They treated me like a psych patient. Said I needed an ID Dr. No ID Dr would touch me from the referral. I finally had a colonoscopy and endoscopy at Shands UF and pathology of 10 differe6areas showed high WBC and eosinophils, which is usually present in serious infection and parasites. Either that or I’ve got non hodgkin’s lymphoma. I know I’ve had these for years now. My cats vet diagnosed him with ascaris hookworm and tapeworm. Now this nose thing is different. My nose is rotting inside. I barely have any cartilage on the tip of my nose. It’s moved way back. Also all of my teeth are rotten and broken. I’ve hot holes and lesions in my teeth and oral cavity. Something is making my tongue so large I’m choking on it or it gets so dry it feels like it’s gonna break off. Like granulated. I hear and feel them moving in my larynx at night, crawling under my eye lids. I wake up with what looks like large sand pieces all around my eyes nose mouth I choke up chunks of black tar. I’ve recently started throwing up blood and having pure blood in my toilet just pouring out of me! These pathology tests prove it, now they have to test what kind I’ve got but I’ve got multiple symptoms and I’m sure multiple parasites and I know I’ve hot maggots in my nose and mouth maybe eyes. That volume be loaloa worm. I’m going blind I’ve lost all of my teeth and I look like I’m 8 months pregnant. Even with te test results noone has yet to call me back from the clinic!!!! Is it all because I’m poor and I’m on government SSI. That is so unfair. If I had money this wouldn’t be happening!!!

  • I have been caring for my 80-year old Dad. He blows flies out of his nose, as well as thin white larvae, approximately 1″ in length. He went to the doctor. They diagnosed him as having blood in his nose. I’ve looked at hundreds of these under a microscope. Why do “blood clots” have wings? Why are they all shaped the same (like a fly)? Why does he slap his nose and eyes over a “blood clot?” Here are the homeopathics to try. Dad has experienced tremendous relief in six days. He reports he feels 100% better in just six days. Use DiGize (essential oil), coconut oil, thyme, coconut juice, ginger, cloves, ground mustard, peppermint oil, Use a “snot pot with distilled water and Di Gize.” Rub the above oils and herbs on your face. Eat the herbs/oils with your food. Use a diffuser – breathe the oils. You may also use pumpkin seeds, pomegranates and papaya (these were not available in the small town grocery store near my Dad’s house.) We will take him for another medical eval in a larger city. In the meantime, the above natural remedies have given Dad relief. I hope this helps you as well!

  • I have these small eggs and minute little black shiny torpedo shaped insects in my nose and scalp. Went to Doctor yesterday who suggested I was delusional and wanted to give me antidepressants. I asked to see an Ent specialist which would enable a view of the infestation… I am totally alone with this horrid problem. Am in the UK what can I do?

    • Hi Lucy
      I live in the UK and have exactly the same problem.
      Are you any further forward. It’s been going on 2 years for me and getting worse. I’ve seen a ent doctor around 10 times and the last time he said I have bugs under my skin in my sinuses and can not deal with me anymore as it’s a dermatologist job. Im in severe pain every day. I’ve got a hole in my nose now and its spreading. I’ve tried every lotion possible.
      I’m loosing all hope

  • I know what you all mean. I too have been having issues with ENT Professionals even going to explore what is causing insects (I suspect maggots) coming out of my nose. ) They always want them to be large and it’s important to identify the species etc. They have to be big ones and be taken from a patient’s body directly. Otherwise, one has a psychological disorder. It is disgusting the lack of care for this medical condition. This medical condition given the attitude of med community would never be caught in it’s initial stages until the patient has a major issue that does threaten the patient’s life. The medical community will not act until that happens. It is angering and depressing at that same time. We are alone.

  • Hello! I’m glad I found this site. I believe this is happening to me. I’m getting no where with my doctors. I’m on doxy but bacterial test came back normal. I took specimens that have been coming out of my sinus to GP today. However, they had become dehydrated and even when I showed her photos ,she wouldn’t believe me. Last time I was in her office I had blown my nose and this thing came out. Long in length (1 in) and very narrow. It had fresh blood at one end. I have been seeing an ENT who did my sinus surgery last August. I illustrated it for her. No clue look on her face. Last October. I had severe head pain CT done which showed massive inflammation. I ran a fever for 23 days . After 3 weeks put on doxy then for 2 months. No one ever identified what it was then. Now. 3 weeks ago puss came out between my lower left back teeth fever and severe jaw pain. Put on Ammoxicillian for 10 days with no improvement. Then doyx on this past Tuesday. I was also diagnosed with Combined Variable Immune Deficiency last year.

  • Why is it so hard for the medical field to admit patients and do cat scans, tests etc. to find out if the patient does have larvae from small fruit/drain flys laying eggs in there sinus cavity? Larvae (magots) can cause extensive damage eating there way thru the patients face, sinuses, ear canal, brain, eyes and even crawl down into the lungs feeding on tissue, pupa and hatching. (I had one eat thru my sinuses thru the roof of my mouth and die sticking part way out). My Dr looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if it was possible to have fruit fly lay eggs in my sinus cavity while I sleep and have larvae/maggots eating thru the soft tissue in my sinuses/face brain etc…

    I would sugest to patients when they visit the doctor to just tell the doctor the SYMPTOMS that your having ie sinusitus, head aches, ear aches, constant nasal infections, blood discharges from the nose, coughing, fever, blured vision etc.. (Dr’s like to feel smarter than you, let them figure out the cause). Then the Dr can refer you to an ear, nose and throat expert and order different types of tests, scans etc. Let them find the problem. When you come straight out and talk about possible maggots living inside your nose/sinus cavity, they think you are just paranoid and say ” try a warm saline rinse in your sinuses every day” ( which may help). Or “I wouldn’t worry about that, take this anti sphychosis med and call me in the morning”… I have noticed small fruit/ drain flys attracted to my nose for the past 15 yrs as if they want to fly inside it. So whats to stop them at night. Guess I could try sleeping with a mosquito net around me…

    • This is exactly what I have going on. I have been to seven doctors and only one of them offered to help and gave me interfectum. I took it twice but I still have larvae coming out of my nose. I work at a bar and i somehow got infected eith them i bet. What do I do?

  • We need help! Nobody will exam further than otoscope and we are infested. Ent myiasis! Please help us make someone listen to us and do proper tests!

  • Hi,I am going to introducing a case of maggot,which would be refered to, by one of my colleagues.

    I would be happy taking some photos and C.T.to show

    here,pre & post treatment.

    • Hello Kevin,
      We’ll be happy to publish your case. Please send it to us at medchrome (at) gmail.com along with your details.

  • These are just small enough to slip right through the Health Net. I have this same thing happening to me. There are maggots in my sinuses. They have ripped apart the inside of my nose and I cough up maggots several times a day. Every doctor I have seen refuses to entertain the possibility that parasites could be the cause. I brought a live still wriggling maggot to the er and was refused treatment because “there is no such thing and I don’t want to see whatever is in that bag because you have a mental health issue”. Please send this article to the AMA.

    • Hello Maggie, We have received the photos you sent us on this topic. We appreciate your effort and we will soon publish them in Interesting cases section with credits to you. About sending the article to AMA, I thinks its well aware about it although a rare disease.

      • I don’t think they are aware. CDC I don’t know. Make a big deal about it. Please or I could die alone with Many others that suffer:(

    • I have the same problem with the medical professionals and had no joy with entomologists I approached thus far. Did you eventually get help and if so what was the outcome. I have suspected I have scalp myiasis myself.

    • Experiencing the same treatment also intestinal and vaginal eyes ears etc 🙁

    • same to me . i think i have maggot in my body and the doctor said i got mental issue. did u figure out how to kill the maggot??. can u help me. plz tq

    • OMG I have larva all in my head my nose I’ve had this 8monthrs nobody will believe me I took a bag to the ER and they put me in a mental room This is all in my mouth and I cough it up Ian at my wits end Please tell me what I can do Mine are from a Japanese Beatle and those mess can live anywhere Please help

    • I think I have myiasis, what are the signs and symptoms and what should I do?

  • Its a horrible disease to have. Maggots in the nose.

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