OCULAR LEECH INFESTATION IN A CHILD

PURPOSE: To describe a patient with manifestations of ocular leech inf estation. METHOD: Case report. RESULTS: The ocular foreign body was id entified as a leech, Limnatis nilotica, by parasitologic examination. The leech was extracted, and the patient began using topical antibioti c and cycloplegic agents, By the third day after extraction, the patie nt had no obvious symptoms or signs, except for a limited subconjuncti val hemorrhage, and no epithelial defect on the cornea was observed, C ONCLUSIONS: Ocular leech infestation should be considered in patients with a history of swimming in streams and lakes. Attention should also be given to ocular leech infestation in the differential diagnosis of ocular trauma with iris prolapse.