[Furuncles on the scalp after a trip to Brazil].

HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS: A 68-year-old woman suffered for six weeks from four skin eruptions on her head after returning from Brazil. The skin manifestations resembled furuncles, grew continually in size until they were about 2 cm in diameter and [corrected] she finally developed intermittent sharp pain on her head. On presentation she had a mild lymphadenopathy on her neck but no other systemic complaints.

INVESTIGATIONS: Each skin eruption had a central porus with seropurulent discharge and on examination within the central opening a whitish, tender moving mass could be detected. TREATMENT, COURSE AND DIAGNOSIS: We cautiously infiltrated each skin eruption with lidocaine. Immediately after infiltration a whitish maggot appeared from each nodule and could be easily extracted with a forceps. The maggots were identified as Dermatobia hominis larvae. After extraction a local antiseptic dressing was applied and the wounds healed without complications.

CONCLUSION

Dermatobia hominis is a common cause of myiasis in Central- and South-America and should be taken into account in furuncular skin eruptions of returning travelers. The typical appearance of the skin eruption with a central porus, seropurulent discharge and a whitish, tender moving mass within the nodule is quite characteristic for myiasis. The patients often have [corrected] intermittent sharp pain in the area of the affected skin and report continuing growth of the nodules and a sensation of slight movement within the skin eruption. Extraction is accomplished with a forceps after lidocaine infiltration, alternatively an occlusive dressing could be applied by means of which the larvae can be removed easily from the cavity.