Living Foreign Body in the Larynx: A Rare Case Report

Foreign body aspiration (FBA) is a common incidence in young children. While living FB like maggots have been reported very frequently, Leeches are rarely reported as FBA at any age. In this case we report a 55-year-old female from rural area presented with hoarseness, dyspnoea and cough since one month, upon Indirect laryngoscopy a blackish aneurysmal like FB in the larynx was seen. A neck computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a polypoidal soft tissue like shadow with changing positions in subsequent axial cuts. Finally, direct laryngoscopy was performed under local anaesthesia in operation theatre and a 9 cm leech was found in the larynx overlying sub glottis and glottis area which was removed immediately with the Luc’s forceps.