[Leeches in the respiratory system (author's transl)].

The leech as a foreign body and parasite in the human respiratory tract occurs principally in the Mediterranean countries, in Africa and Asia. It reaches the respiratory tract when water is drunk directly from rivers, lakes, etc. Ignorance of this fact may cause diagnostic difficulties leading to errors in treatment. Anaemia and respiratory obstruction due to leeches cause danger to health and life, especially in children. Fatalities have been known. Treatment consists of endoscopic removal of the parasite, which may be technically difficult, especially when the leech is in the region of the larynx and thus presents dramatic conditions for the procedure. A series of 120 cases treated in Algeria between 1962 and 1971 is presented.