A Hong Kong 55-year-old hiker washed her face in a freshwater stream. It was an idyllic scene and she went on her way, relaxed and happy. Two weeks later, she developed a bloody nose that just didn't seem to heal. She consulted a doctor.
The first doctor the woman saw could not find anything wrong. When she visited a second doctor, he saw a five-centimeter (two-inch) leech peeking out of her left nostril.
The unusual case occurred in 2003 but doctors highlighted it in this month's edition of the Hong Kong Medical Journal, where they discussed how to remove live leeches from human nasal passages using anesthesia.
According to the article, doctors managed to remove the stubborn bloodsucker with forceps after applying anesthesia to the woman's nose.
"Direct removal of a live leech might be difficult because of its powerful attachment to the mucosa and its slimy and mobile body," the journal said.
4 comments:
I remember reading about either this story or one just like it.
Apparently, friends kept seeing something appear out of her nostril every now and then, but the thing was so fleeting, they were too embarrassed to say anything.
And then there's the story of the guy with a nest of maggots living inside his skull...
Wow.
You actually succeeded in making this story grosser.
Whee! Thanks for sharing that. Now, time for lunch!
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