title: Cutaneous myiasis.
abstract: Cutaneous myiasis is a unique disease, endemic in tropical areas, and uncommon in the Western world, making its diagnosis difficult for physicians that are unfamiliar with the disease process. Larvae of a two-winged fly are inoculated through normal skin by a mosquito bite. The larvae grow in the subcutaneous tissues, feed off the surrounding tissues and develop into a fly. A patient with a seemingly commonplace cutaneous lesion which was a harbinger of a much more sinister, unique disease process, is presented. Salient features that characterise these lesions, the difficulty in accurate (and timely) diagnosis, treatment and a review of the literature are discussed with the aim of overcoming limitations of diagnosis and management.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery and Center for Immunotherapy, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030-1601, USA.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krajewski
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hoss
authors.forename: Chirag
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Rajiv Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Chandawarkar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009198:Myiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D012535:Scalp; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*