Yaşar Murat, Atalay Fatma
Kastamonu University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Kastamonu, Turkey.
Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 2025 Feb 17;67:e12. doi: 10.1590/S1678-9946202567012. eCollection 2025.
Leeches are segmental worms commonly found in fresh water in tropical regions. They can enter the human body via the consumption of contaminated water or through the mouth and nose during washing, generally affecting the upper airway and digestive tract. During the blood-sucking process, the leech releases the anticoagulant enzyme "hirudin" from the wound site into the host's circulation together with an anesthetic to prevent the host from feeling its attachment. Leech endoparasitism is a very rare cause of epistaxis. We report a case of a living leech lodged in the posterior nasal floor in a patient that presented to the emergency department with unilateral epistaxis and a difficult diagnosis.
水蛭是一种环节动物，常见于热带地区的淡水中。它们可通过饮用受污染的水或在洗漱时经口、鼻进入人体，通常影响上呼吸道和消化道。在吸血过程中，水蛭从伤口部位将抗凝酶“水蛭素”与一种麻醉剂一起释放到宿主的血液循环中，以防止宿主感觉到它的附着。水蛭体内寄生是鼻出血非常罕见的原因。我们报告一例患者，有一条活水蛭寄居于后鼻底，该患者因单侧鼻出血就诊于急诊科，诊断困难。
