Cutaneous complications of improper leech application
Journal Title: Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine - Year 2012, Vol 19, Issue 4
Abstract
Introduction: The medical leech ([i]Hirudo medicinalis[/i]) has been used throughout the centuries and continues to be used today, mainly in reconstructive surgery and microsurgery. Easy access to these animals may entail an improper use of this therapeutic method by patients as a form of self-treatment.Case report: A man who presented with skin erythema and oedema due to the application of a medical leech.Discussion: Infection is considered the most common complication of hirudotherapy, even though bacteriological examination of leech applied by the patient showed neither bacterial nor parasitic infection. The skin lesions were probably of allergic origin; whether this reaction was due to substances released from the leech or as a consequence of reusing the same leech, remains to be determined.
Authors and Affiliations
Aldona Pietrzak, Jean Kanitakis , Krzysztof Tomasiewicz, Bartłomiej Wawrzycki, Jolanta Kozłowska-Łój , Ewa Dybiec , Grażyna Chodorowska
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP80553
- DOI -
- Views 120
- Downloads 0
Metabolic syndrome in Poland – the PONS Study
Introduction: In Central and Eastern European countries, cardiovascular disorders (CVD) in middle age are much more common than in Western Europe, and it is imperative to understand the causes underlying this excess dise...
Morbidity and mortality due to cervical cancer in Poland after introduction of the Act – National Programme for Control of Cancerous Diseases
In 2005 in Poland, referring to the recommendations by the National Health Programme and recommendations by the European Union, the National Programme for Control of Cancerous Diseases was implemented by virtue of the Ac...
First detection of microsporidia in raised pigeons in Poland
Microsporidia are single-celled intracellular parasites which occur in a number of animals, both vertebrates and invertebrates. Several species of microsporidia can cause disease in humans in both immunocompromised and i...
Cathelicidin LL-37, granzymes, TGF-beta1 and cytokines levels in induced sputum from farmers with and without COPD.
The cathelicidin LL-37 is an antimicrobial and lipopolysaccharide neutralizing peptide, possessing pro-inflammatory, tissue repair and remodeling activities. Recent reports indicate that the progression of COPD might be...
Patient rights, risk, and responsibilities in the genetic era – a right to know, a right not to know, or a duty to know?
[b]Introduction and objective[/b]. As genetics tests ordered by physicians have implications not only for patients but also their relatives, they create a bioethical dilemma for both clinicians and patients. Especially w...