title: Orofacial myiasis of the gingiva and nasal cavity: a report of two cases and general review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Infestation of the orofacial region with live maggots is a distressing condition and many clinicians are not aware of the existence of such an entity. Usually the condition affects individuals who are debilitated, mentally challenged, and physically not able to attend to their personal needs because of lack of psychomotor coordination.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article describes two cases of orofacial myiasis reported at a rural dental school in India. Removal of the live maggots, supportive treatment, management of the cases, and morphologic features of maggots are described.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both the patients belonged to a low socioeconomic group and were physically and mentally challenged. Maggot removal improved the patients' pain and distress, and entomologic study identified the maggots as belonging to Chrysomya bezziana.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral myiasis is more prevalent than commonly believed to be and an astute practitioner should be aware of such maggots in the mouth, in cases of oral and maxillofacial trauma and in vulnerable categories of patients. These patients are not physically or mentally endowed to ward off flies or complain about worms burrowing their way into oral wounds. Occurrences of such cases are rare in developed countries and reflect the lack of special care for the vulnerable group of patients belonging to certain geographic areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontics, Sri Sai College of Dental Surgery, Vikarabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. avulajk@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Jaya Kumar
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Avula
authors.forename: Haritha
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Avula
authors.forename: Nupur
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Udaya Kumar
authors.initials: UK
authors.lastname: Manchukonda
authors.forename: Nalla
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vivekavardhan Reddy
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D004175:Diptera / Q000145:classification; D005260:Female; D005882:Gingival Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D007814:Larva / Q000145:classification; D008297:Male; D009198:Myiasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000469:parasitology*; D009668:Nose Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D055815:Young Adult