Removing a leech nearly 3cm long from a patient's nose

Previously, on May 15, 2023, the Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Dentistry, Thanh Chuong General Hospital received a patient, Mr. D.D.Q (38 years old, in Thanh Thuy commune, Thanh Chuong district), admitted with symptoms of cough, difficulty breathing, and coughing up fresh blood.

After endoscopy, the doctor discovered a live leech moving in the sinus cavity, the color was similar to the nasal mucosa.

The surgical team quickly anesthetized and removed the entire 3cm long leech from the patient's nose, then flushed and cleaned the nasal cavity to avoid infection complications.

Image of leech residing in patient's nasal cavity. Photo: Dinh Hao

According to the patient, about a week ago he went to the forest and drank water from a stream. This may have been the situation that caused the leech to enter the patient’s nose. It is known that after the leech was removed from the patient’s nose, his health stabilized, he no longer had difficulty breathing and no more bleeding.

Image of leech taken out. Photo: Dinh Hao

According to doctors at Thanh Chuong General Hospital: If leeches are in the nose in the crevices, they will become foreign objects, causing swelling, secretions, and blockages leading to sinusitis. Leeches can also cause dangerous effects if they adhere to large blood vessels or move down to the larynx.

According to the recommendation of Doctor CKI. Pham Ngoc Thanh - Head of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Dentistry, Thanh Chuong General Hospital, people should not use unsafe water sources from streams for drinking and daily activities, to prevent leeches and leeches from entering the body's natural cavities.

For people who regularly bathe in streams, ponds, and lakes, if they have symptoms such as stuffy nose, stuffy nose, sore throat accompanied by nosebleeds, coughing up blood, and hoarseness, they should immediately have an ENT endoscopy to rule out living foreign objects in the upper respiratory tract...