title: Leech infestation: the unusual cause of upper airway obstruction.
abstract: This paper presents a case of a 7 year-old child who presented with a 14-days history of blood stained saliva and shortness of breath of 3 days with signs of upper airway obstruction. Laryngoscopy revealed a blackish living foreign body in the proximal trachea. Under general anesthesia the leech was removed by applying forceps. I conclude that a high index of suspicion of leech infestation is required when faced with a child presenting with unexplained bleeding per mouth and signs of upper airway obstruction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University. demeke.mekonnen@ju.edu.et
authors.forename: Demeke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mekonnen
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D005002:Ethiopia; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007865:Leeches; D008297:Male; D014132:Trachea / Q000469:parasitology*
keywords: Foreign body; Leech; Trachea; upper airway obstruction
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