Gynaecological complications of leech bite.

 

Siew Cheng CHAI1, Wan Azman WAN SULAIMAN1, Ahmad Amir ISMAIL2

1Reconstructive Sciences Department, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan 16150, Malaysia

2Obstetrics and Gynecology department, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan 16150, Malaysia

 

ABSTRACT      

In tropical countries, leech bites are common and reported to cause life-threatening complications. We would like to highlight two cases that represented acute and chronic gynaecological complications of leech bites. First case was a two-year-old girl who presented with persistent vaginal bleeding complicated by disseminated intravascular coagulopathy after a leech was forcefully removed from her intracoitus. Second case was a 15-year-old girl who presented with a history of progressive difficulty and incomplete micturition three years after an incident with a leech bite at the vulva region. She was noted to have complete midline fusion of her labia minora with a pinhole orifice, which required surgical intervention. These two cases highlights the acute and chronic complications that can arise from such a simple leech bites which can be life threatening. Awareness of such potential complications of leech bites will lead to early referral and early treatment.

 

Keywords: leech bite, vaginal bleeding, labial fusion, Z-plasty   

 

Correspondence author: Chai Siew Cheng

Reconstructive Sciences Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Health Campus Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian Kelantan

Phone No: 609-7676000

Email:  scchai513@gmail.com

 

 

Brunei Int Med J. 2017; 13 (2): 66-68

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