In Vietnam, doctors find 12cm leech living in 8-year-old boy’s airway

The boy was brought to the hospital on Monday after experiencing prolonged hoarseness, severe coughing and shortness of breath.

During an examination and airway endoscopy, doctors discovered an abnormal object lodged deep inside his respiratory tract.

The patient was immediately referred for an emergency consultation with respiratory specialists and transferred to the operating room for bronchoscopic removal of the foreign object.

During the procedure, doctors found a live leech at the carina, the point where the trachea divides into the left and right bronchi.

Endoscopic images showed the parasite continuously contracting, stretching and moving within the child’s airway.

After accurately locating the leech, the medical team used specialized instruments to remove it successfully.

The parasite measured some 12 centimeters in length.

Dr. Huynh Duy Tham, head of the hospital’s respiratory pediatrics department, described the case as particularly dangerous.

If the leech had remained undetected, it could have continued feeding on blood, increased in size and caused severe airway obstruction, potentially leading to respiratory failure and even threatening the child’s life, said the doctor.

According to the boy’s family, he had previously gone swimming in a stream and drunk stream water.

This may have allowed the leech to enter his respiratory tract, where it attached itself and continued to grow, said the doctor.

The hospital urged parents to seek immediate medical attention if children develop persistent symptoms such as chronic coughing, hoarseness, breathing difficulties, coughing up blood or a sensation of something stuck in the throat after swimming in streams or consuming untreated water from streams, ponds or other natural sources.

Medical experts emphasized that early diagnosis and prompt treatment are crucial in preventing serious complications in such rare cases.