A case of facultative ophthalmomyiasis externa due to Calliphoridae and review of the literature

Michael Wolek; Konstantinos Tourmouzis; Armando Garcia; Jason Byrd; Sarah Weissbart; Nariman Boyle; Robert Honkanen

doi:10.1016/j.ajoc.2023.101822

A case of facultative ophthalmomyiasis externa due to Calliphoridae and review of the literature

Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep. 2023 Feb 19:30:101822. doi: 10.1016/j.ajoc.2023.101822. eCollection 2023 Jun.

Authors

Michael Wolek¹, Konstantinos Tourmouzis², Armando Garcia³, Jason Byrd⁴, Sarah Weissbart³, Nariman Boyle³, Robert Honkanen³

Affiliations

¹ Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-8430, USA.
² Royal United Hospital, Combe Park, Bath, United Kingdom.
³ Department of Ophthalmology, Stony Brook University Hospital, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-8430, USA.
⁴ Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.

Abstract

Purpose: To describe a case of bilateral facultative ophthalmomyiasis externa due to Calliphoridae in a 30-year-old male assault victim at a suburban hospital in New York and review the relevant literature.

Observations: An adult male was found to have maggot infestation of both eyes and severe secondary injury to the left cornea and ocular surface. He was treated with manual larvae removal, oral ivermectin, broad spectrum IV antibiotics, and topical antibiotics. Anterior segment reconstruction was required.

Conclusions and importance: We report the first case of ophthalmomyiasis due to Calliphoridae in the United States and document the vision threatening potential of this rare condition. Timely examination by an ophthalmologist with early debridement may help prevent vision-threatening sequelae.

Keywords: Epidemiology; Maggot; Ophthalmomyiasis; Orbital myiasis.

Publication types

Case Reports