Upper GI Bleeding Due to Leech Infestation in Ethiopian Patients: A Case Series and Review of Literature

Abstract

Abdulsemed Mohammed Nur,1 Zebeaman Tibebu Gorfu2 1Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Adera Medical Center, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Abdulsemed Mohammed Nur, Email [email protected]: Upper GI bleeding secondary to a live foreign body (leech) is a very rare condition, causing diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Aquatic leeches could infest the upper gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa, resulting in bleeding and/or anemia. A history of contact with a contaminated water source is necessary to establish the diagnosis. We, herein, present two cases of upper GI bleeding caused by leech infestation and a technique for extraction of the leech.Keywords: leech infestation, upper GI bleeding, anemia, Africa, Ethiopia

Keywords

• leech infestation
• upper gi bleeding
• anemia
• africa
• ethiopia