Images in Clinical Medicine
Unilateral Epistaxis
N Engl J Med 2009; 361:e14August 27, 2009
- Article
Video
Retrieval of a Leech from the Left Nasal Cavity
A 44-year-old man presented with a 7-day history of epistaxis on the left side. He reported that he had washed his face in a freshwater stream 7 days before the onset of symptoms. A suspected blood clot was seen in the left middle turbinate on anterior rhinoscopy, although endoscopic examination showed that the possible clot was a living leech. After lidocaine nasal spray was applied to the left nasal cavity, the leech was retrieved with an aspirator (video). The epistaxis subsequently resolved. Although leech infestation is not a common cause of nasal bleeding, it should be considered when an exposure that is consistent with such infestation has occurred.
Yueng-Hsiang Chu, M.D.
Jih-Chin Lee, M.D.
Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei 114, Taiwan
doc30450@yahoo.com - Citing Articles (1)
Citing Articles
1
Japhet M Gilyoma, Phillipo L Chalya. (2011) Etiological profile and treatment outcome of epistaxis at a tertiary care hospital in Northwestern Tanzania: a prospective review of 104 cases. BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders 11:1, 8
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