A CASE OF OPHTHALMOMYIASIS EXTERNA AS A VACATION SURPRISE

To report a case of ophthalmomyiasis externa in a 30-year-old female patient following her return from vacation.

Emergency Departhment of the first Opthalmology Clinic of Athens University.

Slit lamp photography and video were used to document the presence of larvae in the patient’s eye. The larvae were removed and sent for species identification at the laboratory. Fundus examination and photography were performed to confirm the diagnosis of ophthalmomyiasis interna.

A 30-year-old woman presented with a foreign body sensation and conjunctival redness in her left eye after returning from summer vacation. Visual acuity was 10/10 bilaterally. Slit lamp examination revealed six mobile larvae crawling across the conjunctiva and cornea of the right eye. After applying topical propacaine, the larvae were immobilized and successfully removed using forceps. The larvae were identified as Oestrus ovis at the laboratory. The patient was treated with topical ofloxacin eye drops to prevent secondary infection. Fundus examination and photography showed no evidence of intraocular involvement, confirming the absence of ophthalmomyiasis interna. The patient responded well to treatment, with the conjunctival redness resolving and no complications noted at follow-up.

Topical propacaine effectively immobilized the larvae, allowing for safe removal in this case of ophthalmomyiasis externa. Treatment with ofloxacin led to a full recovery without complications.