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Cystoscopic Removal of Leeches in the Lower Urinary Tract
European Journal of Pediatric Surgery, 08/17/2012
Banu T et al. – Cystoscopic removal can be a useful technique for the removal of leeches from the urinary tract when saline irrigation fails.
Methods- Medical records (January 2002 to December 2010) of children with history of leech infestation in the urinary system, admitted in the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Chittagong Medical College & Hospital, Chittagong, Bangladesh were reviewed.
- All patients underwent saline irrigation through urethral catheter.
- When saline irrigation failed, cystoscopic examination was done with removal of leeches by flexible graspers. Follow-up was done 2 weeks later.
- The study included 117 patients. Age ranged from 4 to 12 years.
- Male and female ratio was 3.7:1.
- All patients had per urethral bleeding. 51 (43.6%) patients had suprapubic pain.
- All children underwent saline irrigation through urethral catheter.
- Spontaneous expulsion occurred after saline irrigation in 57 (48.7%) patients.
- The expelled leeches were alive in 11 cases; dead in 46 patients. Cystoscopic removal of leeches was done in 60 patients (51.3%). In the cystoscopic group, 54 of the removed leeches were dead and 6 were alive.