# What worm that is found under human skin?



## freedomfrom4

My 10 year old came to me hysterical cause she pulled a worm out of her skin. She has a oushy half inch tract where she said she she removed it from. Described as small white worm. She was panicked and killed it. I can't find any info about what this could be online. We have numerous animals and yes she has been known to run outside without shoes on. She is healthy chuncky active kid. :hrm:


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## sewserious

Here is on; there are lots of them though.

http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec18/ch210/ch210e.html


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## mountainlaurel

We call them worbels. They come from the bot fly. Around here, they are generally found on animals. My dh removed several from the neighbors bunnies.
We have also removed them from a cat.

But, when my son in law was a boy, he lived in Belize and he had one in his head. His brother had one on his leg. I don't know of anyone who has had one in my area. But I remember there was one article in the newspaper not too long ago about someone having one but I'm not sure if they just hadn't returned from a tropical country.


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## Freeholder

I don't think it would be warbles. Those are the larvae of the bot fly; I've seen them, and wouldn't describe them as small. They also make pretty good-sized lumps under the skin before they hatch out. (I've only seen them on cattle, but I imagine it would be possible for humans to get them, too. Although, livestock generally ingest the bot-fly eggs by licking at their legs, where the flies have laid them.)

I do think that I'd be getting the daughter to a Dr. ASAP, though. If there was one worm, there may be more, and, while I hate to scare you, I've heard some horror stories about worms migrating to the eyes and brain, among other body parts.

Kathleen


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## Common Tator

I remember as a kid at school, one of my friends telling me that she had worms living in her nose. She squeezed it and pimples came out. They did look a little like worms, but definitely weren't. I couldn't convince her they weren't worms.


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## Hears The Water

I agree with BJF. I don't think it is a Bot Fly Larvae. I have pulled multipule larvae from cats. They don't come out easily, and the wound has an infected smell and look. Not to mention that they are not little. They have hooks on one end and do not want to come out, I think it would be painfull too. I second the thought of going to the doctor. 
God bless you and yours
Deb


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## naturelover

You will need to take her to the doctor for blood tests immediately now. Where there are worms in the skin, there are eggs in the blood circulating through the body.

.


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## D Lynn

naturelover said:


> You will need to take her to the doctor for blood tests immediately now. Where there are worms in the skin, there are eggs in the blood circulating through the body.
> 
> .


Ya, I'm with her!

Ew!


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## PrettyPaisley

I. would. die.


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## freedomfrom4

She is freaked out. I planned on taking her to the doc tomorrow about it. I had just never seen or heard of such a thing.


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## mamaof3peas

Take her now! I had a cousin almost die from this, it was in his lung, and they found. More in brain, but if they hadn't caught in time, he wouldn't have made it! I'm serious, I'm a nurse, wake her up and take her to er!!!!


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## naturelover

FF4 - you never said what part of the body she found the worm. Was it in her leg or arm?

.


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## freedomfrom4

On her hand. She has a 2 inch open wound on the palm from a fall with a horse, and the worm came out on the top side near her first knuckle.


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## Joshie

Could it have been a maggot? Flies will lay eggs in necrotic tissue. I'd make sure that you tell her than anytime she has anything unusual happening in or to her body that she must tell you ASAP. 

I'm also a nurse and I agree that this is nothing to mess with. You have no idea what it is and if it's systemic or not. You certainly don't want anything migrating anywhere else. 

How large was the worm? Color? Is there a tract from which this worm came?

By the way, you're making my head itch.


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## kyweaver

i will second the ewwwwwww


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## Pony

Let us know how she's doing, okay?

Poor kid. I'd have freaked and smooshed it with a rock, and then smooshed it some more.

Ugh.


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## Madame

Maybe scabies. She should see the doc as soon as possible.


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## ACountryMomma

Scabies are a type of mite, they are very tiny and cause a lot of itching. I don't think they could be it & I agree that the cuterebra (warble, bot larvae) would be very obvious & they are terribly difficult to get out - they create a large lump with a hole for their breathing apparatus... saw more than a few as a vet assistant. I don't think it would be one of those. 

Definitely take her to the doctor.


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## hippygirl

Holy cow! I can completely understand her freaking out!

I agree with the others...get her to a doc.


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## jer

I would not take the time to post on here but get her to the ER as soon as possible!! It could be lifethreatening! I will send you money if you need it to pay for the ER. Please let us know what you find out and prayers sent for you.


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## SunsetSonata

Look up cuterebra on Google Images and ask daughter if it looked like that.


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## johnsmb

Hi - Does the spot itch? Was there a red track or reddish path on the skin?

look at these pictures: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...M=IGRE&qpvt=cutaneous+larva+migrans+pictures#

And look up "cutaneous larva migrans". I believe that it may be dog/cat hookworms. They can enter the human body, but they cannot complete their lifecycle in the human. They usually travel right under the skin and can leave serpentine marks following their path. I believe they are a small whitish worm, but not really sure if your daughter would have been able to extract one or not ???? 

Definitely worth a doctor visit, but if this is it, then it's nothing to panic over. 

Beth.


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## Jenni979

Poor baby!!! Keep us posted.


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## luv2farm

Ohhhhhh........and I just finished supper...........


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## NeHomesteader

Oh I just got the worst goose bumps reading this.......I feel for your daughter. I pray all goes well at the doctor. Please keep us posted.


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## beaglebiz

Any news today??


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## Ohio dreamer

beaglebiz said:


> Any news today??


ditto


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## gone-a-milkin

No fair posting this and then not updating it for us. 

Was it really a worm? 

Moms everywhere NEED to know how this turned out.


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## Common Tator

Yup, you took her to the doc today? What happened?


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## unregistered29228

This thread has freaked me out on many levels. Hope your daughter is doing ok, but please update us.


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## insocal

This is NOT an emergency. Dermatologic emergencies are truly rare. It does warrant a prompt visit to the pediatrician or GP to figure out what the heck it was. Have her draw a picture of it TO SCALE so you and the doctor can see how big it was. Also, take a photo of the skin right now, so if the appearance changes by the time you get to the Dr he/she can compare.


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## fordy

...........From my understanding the Bot Fly captures a mosquito , and lays a larve\egg on it , then when the Mosquito draws blood from it's host the larve utilizes that pathway too set up housekeeping below the outer surfice of the dermis .While there it grows while keeping the pathway open so it can breathe , then it matures and finds it's way too the surface and the cycle starts all over . Adoctor should be consulted on removing the Immature fly ! , fordy


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## naturelover

freedomfrom4 said:


> On her hand. She has a 2 inch open wound on the palm from a fall with a horse, and the worm came out on the top side near her first knuckle.





insocal said:


> This is NOT an emergency. Dermatologic emergencies are truly rare. It does warrant a prompt visit to the pediatrician or GP to figure out what the heck it was. Have her draw a picture of it TO SCALE so you and the doctor can see how big it was. Also, take a photo of the skin right now, so if the appearance changes by the time you get to the Dr he/she can compare.


The rest of your advice is good but I disagree that it's not an emergency or that it's just dermatologic. 

If the kid has an open wound on one side of her hand and worms appearing out of the opposite side of her hand that is not just dermatologic, it is internal and could indicate possible infection, rotting flesh and gangrene inside the hand.

.


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## GoatsRus

Bump....so what was it?


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## Jenni979

...just checking in...


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## Ohio dreamer

Did you make it to see a Dr?


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## Rockytopsis

Any news today?


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## freedomfrom4

Went to doc and he thought it was isolated to just that tissue as a fluke thing. Yes there was an small oosy nasty trail but is healing up nicely. As first her hand was very red and got a little puffy, but that has gone down quickly over the last couple of days. He said if another comes up then he will send us to another doc (Infectous disease maybe? I forget) My kid gets scraped up all the time and the affected area was very definate. He said the systemic ones are different not like the one she had. It was a very wierd scary experiance that we don't want to have again!! Now every itchy bump or spot she is freaking out and worried that there is another worm in there. Hopefully there will be no more and she will chill out a little.
Thanks All


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## Ed Norman

freedomfrom4 said:


> Went to doc and he thought it was isolated to just that tissue as a fluke thing.


You might want to study up on flukes and choose a different word in this particular case.


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