Sharjah: A 40-year-old Egyptian who checked into a hospital with a complaint that something was moving in his brains actually had seven leeches crawling inside his ears.

The patient was given a local anaesthetic and the leeches, each one measuring 2 cm-long, were pulled out.

Dr Nizar Mohammad Al Qubaisi, head of ENT (ear, nose and throat) at Al Dhaid Hospital said that the leeches were pulled out of the patient's ears in 20 minutes.

"The patient was a farmhand and came to the hospital complaining of ear pain and that he felt that something was moving in his brains. An initial check-up followed by an X-ray revealed the presence of seven leeches sucking blood. They were located near the eardrum."

Al Qubaisi said it was the first time he had come across such a case.

"The leeches had attached themselves firmly inside the ears and it was quite difficult for us to pull them out and so we had to induce local anaesthesia and get them. The patient is fine. The incident will not affect his hearing."

The doctor said that these type of leeches were commonly found in India but they usually attach themselves to people's legs.

"This is the first time I have seen them inside a patient's ear," he said.

www.gulfnews.com