Nasopharyngeal bleeding due to leech bites in a 9-monthold infant

Abstract

Leeches are annelids, comprising the subclass Hirudinea. There are freshwater, terrestrial and marine leeches. Haemophagic leeches attach to their hosts and remain there until they become filled up with blood and then they fall off to digest. Leech bites can manifest various symptoms, which lead to anemia. Here is reported, a case of leech bites in a 9-month-old infant, with a long history of hematemesis, melena, epistaxis and anemia which demanded repeated transfusions. So, leech bites may be a differential diagnosis of anemia particularly in the endemic rural areas where villagers use non boiled water.