A Case of External Ophthalmomyiasis in Rural Area

Abstract

Ocular myiasis is uncommon in developed countries but this is common in underdeveloped area of world where standard of living and hygiene is comparatively low. This article presents a very rare case of external ophthalmomyiasis. A 10‑year‑old boy came with the complaints of pain, burning irritation, redness, foreign body sensation, tearing and itching in right eye. On slit lamp biomicroscopic examination larvae of the parasites were seen moving over the bulbar conjunctiva, which were removed with spatula and confirmed as the larvae of Oestrus ovis by the microbiological slide examination report. Ophthalmomyiasis is a rare diagnosis and high index of suspicion is needed for its diagnosis. Meticulous removal of all visible larvae is important to prevent penetration of globe by larvae and to prevent further blinding complications like endophthalmitis.

Keywords: Larvae of the parasites, Oestrus ovis, ophthalmomyiasis