Leech Application-related Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Case Report

Leech therapy (Hirudotherapy) is a method used in the treatment of many diseases since ancient times. Although many complications have been reported following the use of this method, no systemic life-threatening bleeding has yet been described. A-43-year-old male patient was diagnosed with upper gastrointestinal bleeding following leech application that he had received for infertility one week earlier. The complications of hirudotherapy typically spontaneously improve due to the local effects of this treatment. The most frequently reported complications are local infections, and less commonly allergies and prolonged local bleeding can occur. However, in this case report, we describe a life-threatening upper gastrointestinal bleeding as a new complication. Gastrointestinal bleeding appearing a week after leech therapy does not necessarily mean that leeches caused gastrointestinal bleeding in this case. Nevertheless, considering the development time of gastrointestinal bleeding, it can be deduced that it was possibly due to hirudotherapy. Patients should be informed about alarming symptoms that can indicate complications following leech application.

Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.

A 43-year-old man developed life-threatening upper gastrointestinal bleeding one week after leech application for infertility; the authors caution that although causality is uncertain given the timing, it may be a hirudotherapy complication, and patients should be warned about alarming symptoms.

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