title: Negative suction approach to remove living leeches from the nasal cavity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore a method for removing a living leech from the nasal cavity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 5 patients with nasal leech were examined. Nasal endoscopy revealed the presence of a wriggling leech in the nasal cavities of each of these patients. A negative suction tube with an inner diameter of 3 mm and a negative pressure of 30-40 kp was used to remove these leeches. In each case, this suction tube was aimed at the free end of the leech, and the leech was gradually and slowly sucked into the tube. The suckers of the removed leeches were examined to ensure that no leech fragments remained within each patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all 5 cases, the intact leech was successfully removed. No surgical complications occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The negative suction method can successfully remove nasal leeches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck, Sun Yat-sen Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, China. Electronic address: caiq163@126.com.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck, Sun Yat-sen Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, China.
authors.forename: Qiujian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck, Sun Yat-sen Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck, Sun Yat-sen Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, China.
authors.forename: Faya
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck, Sun Yat-sen Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, China.
authors.forename: Peiliang
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004478:Ectoparasitic Infestations / Q000150:complications / Q000469:parasitology / Q000628:therapy*; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007865:Leeches; D008297:Male; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000469:parasitology*; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000628:therapy*; D013396:Suction / Q000379:methods