[An unusual cause of sinusitis].

BACKGROUND

Larvae of the sheep botfly (Oestrus ovis) normally have sheep or goats as host. In humans the larvae can survive for a short time in the nose or under the eyelids, after which they die or are sneezed out.

CASE DESCRIPTION: We describe a 47-year-old woman who during a stay in the Cape Verde Islands developed symptoms of sneezing, a swollen face and an itchy feeling in her nose. These symptoms were due to an infestation of three fully-developed larvae of the O. ovis species in her sinus maxillaries which were later evacuated by endoscopy.

CONCLUSION

In exceptional cases larvae of the O. ovis species can fully mature in a healthy person after a visit to an endemic area. Development into the mature stage has only been described in patients with a poor mucosal immune response.