Conservative management of post-traumatic cerebral myiasis: Report of a unique case and literature review

Abstract

Cerebral myiasis is extremely rare, and surgical intervention is the primary treatment used. Successful conservative management alone, without surgical removal of the brain infestation has not yet been published. We report a case of a 24-year-old African homeless man who was found on the street in a state of decreased level of consciousness, with larvae exiting from the left supra and postauricular dirty wounds and from his left ear. The patient was diagnosed with post-traumatic cerebral myiasis of the left temporal lobe and cerebellum. It was treated successfully by debridement of the external wounds and administration of antibiotics, without surgical removal of the brain infestations. For the first time, this case illustrates the novelty and appropriateness of the conservative management of cerebral myiasis. This is also the first report of cerebral myiasis with cerebellar involvement and the second report of post-traumatic cerebral myiasis in literature.