Myiasis in children: the Indian perspective.

A retrospective analysis of 94 cases of childhood myiasis admitted over a 6-year period is presented. Children formed 37.9% of all cases of myiasis. More than 50% of the children were less than 5 years of age and most (96.8%) belonged to a rural background. Of the 94 cases, 81 (86.16%) were of aural, 11 (11.7%) of nasal and 2 (2.12%) of ocular myiasis. The peak incidence was seen from September to October. The main symptoms in aural myiasis were passage of worms (81.48%), discharge (44.44%) and pain (41.97%). In nasal myiasis epistaxis (100%), foul smell (100%) passage of worms (90.9%) and pain (72.72%) were the prime presenting symptoms. All patients were treated with chloroform and turpentine oil in the ratio 1:4 which was followed by manual removal of the maggots and were made maggot-free in 2-3 days. No complications were seen.