title: Surprising cause of respiratory distress in child:  laryngeal leech.
abstract: Foreign body aspiration is a major problem that can cause respiratory distress and oral bleeding in a child. Leeches are rarely seen foreign bodies in the larynx. Generally, they live in springwater and can be aspirated by drinking. They can cause respiratory distress, oral bleeding, and anemia, if diagnostic process is delayed. When leeches are detected, urgent diagnosis and treatment are necessary. In this case, we present a 7-year-old child examined in the emergency service with these symptoms. A dark green living body in the larynx was detected and removed urgently under sedo-analgesia. The living body was seen as a leech that is 5 cm in length.
authors.affiliation: ENT Clinic, Mardin Public Hospital, Mardin, Turkey.
authors.forename: Haşmet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yazici
authors.forename: Sedat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doğan
authors.forename: Ahmet Volkan
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Sunter
authors.forename: Engin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yilmaz
authors.forename: Hayrettin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Daşkaya
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000601:surgery*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007818:Laryngeal Diseases / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000601:surgery*; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D007865:Leeches