Dermatobia hominis: Small Migrants Hidden in Your Skin.
- Author:
Lorenzo ZAMMARCHI
1
;
Riccardo VILIGIARDI
;
Marianne STROHMEYER
;
Alessandro BARTOLONI
Author Information
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords: Dermatobia hominis; Furuncular myiasis; Latin America; Occlusive treatment; Surgical treatment
- MeSH: Animals; Diptera; Humans; Italy; Larva; Latin America; Myiasis; Pathology; Skin Diseases; Skin*; Transients and Migrants*; Vertebrates
- From:Annals of Dermatology 2014;26(5):632-635
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: Myiasis is a parasitic infestation of vertebrate animal tissues due to maggots of two-winged flies (Diptera) that feed on living or necrotic tissue. Dermatobia hominis occurs widely in tropical parts of Latin America; it is the most common cause of furuncular myiasis in this region. The continuous increase in international travel has increased the possibility of observing this pathology outside endemic countries, especially in travelers returning from the tropics. If clinicians are aware of the possibility of the disease and its treatment options, this dermatosis can be easily managed. However, diagnostic delay is very common because the disease is often misdiagnosed as a bacterial skin infection. Here, we report 2 cases of furuncular myiasis caused by D. hominis in travelers returning to Italy from Latin America. Surgical and noninvasive treatment approaches are also described.
