Vaginal leech infestation: a rare cause of hypovolemic shock in postmenopausal woman
Case report published in Ethiop J Health Sci (2015)
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Human leech infestation is a disease of the poor who live in rural areas and use water contaminated with leeches. Like any other body orifices, vagina can also be infested by leech when females use contaminated water for bathing and/or douching. Although this condition is very rare in postmenopausal women, it causes morbidities and mortalities. CASE DETAILS: A 70 year old Para X (all alive) abortion I mother, postmenopausal for the last 20 years, presented with vaginal bleeding of 3 weeks duration to Gimbie Adventist Hospital, Western Ethiopia. On examination, she had deranged vital signs and there was a dark moving worm attached to the cervical os. She was admitted with the diagnosis of hypovolumic shock and severe anemia secondary to postmenopausal vaginal bleeding. After the patient was stabilized with intravenous crystalloids, the leech was removed from the vagina. She was then transfused with two units of whole blood and discharged with good condition on the 3(rd) post procedure day with ferrous sulphate. CONCLUSION: Vaginal leech infestation in postmenopausal woman can cause hypovolumic shock and severe anemia. Therefore, in order to decrease morbidities from failure or delay in making the diagnosis, health care providers should consider the possibility of vaginal leech infestation in postmenopausal woman from rural areas and those who use river water for drinking, bathing and/or douching and presented with vaginal bleeding. In addition, the importance of using clean water and improving access to safe water should be emphasized.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Resumen
70-year-old postmenopausal woman with hypovolemic shock and severe anemia from vaginal leech infestation requiring 2 units of whole blood transfusion.
Por qué esto importa para la hirudoterapia
Este caso clínico describe a una mujer etíope posmenopáusica de 70 años que presentó shock hipovolémico y anemia grave secundarias a sangrado vaginal, con un gusano oscuro en movimiento adherido al orificio cervical externo identificado como una sanguijuela. Tras la estabilización con cristaloides intravenosos y la extracción de la sanguijuela, recibió dos unidades de sangre total y fue dada de alta en buen estado al tercer día postprocedimiento. Este caso se relaciona con el ámbito de la ASH solo de forma indirecta: documenta morbilidad por la adherencia de una sanguijuela en un contexto clínico, pero se refiere a infestación parasitaria por agua contaminada más que a hirudoterapia terapéutica. La advertencia honesta es que la especie de sanguijuela no está identificada, no se describe ningún mecanismo de acción y el caso no aporta información a la práctica terapéutica con sanguijuelas.
Citación
Vaginal leech infestation: a rare cause of hypovolemic shock in postmenopausal woman.
Tilahun T et al. · Ethiopian journal of health sciences, 2015
Contexto clínico relacionado
Explore cómo esta investigación se conecta con la práctica clínica
Añadido a la biblioteca ASH: May 27, 2026 · Última actualización del sitio: 18 de junio de 2026