Diagnostic mistake and wrong treatment of cutaneous myiasis by Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

There are many reports of myiasis in humans. However for some clinicians still remain some questions about the convenience of early treatment when facing this kind of problems. The present study shows how doctors have to be clear to treat myiasis, based on a diagnostic mistake and wrong treatment of a 67 year-old woman who resided in an urban area of Chinchiná, a municipality located in the department of Caldas in Colombia, who was parasitized by larvae of the screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). The objective of the present work is to analyze a real clinical situation, trying to clarify the difference between natural infestations vs therapeutic treatment using maggots, and how treatment has to be perform as prompt as possible for natural infestations, in order to avoid undesirable consequences for patients suffering myiasis. It can be concluded that occurrences of traumatic myiasis in humans represent serious public health concerns, then health personnel dealing with patients presenting myiasis, have to initiate immediate treatment to eliminate the larvae using the available methods in order to guard the patient’s security.