Surgeons Remove 50 Live MAGGOTS From Old Woman's Face In China {Graphic Photos}

A doctor in China has removed more than 50 live maggots from a festering wound on a 97-year-old woman's face in an extremely rare case.

The unnamed pensioner is believed to have accidentally broken the skin of a tumour on her left cheek which was caused by squamous-cell skin cancer.

A fly then managed to lay eggs in the open wound which caused the infestation.

The pensioner was admitted to Qilu Hospital of Shandong University in East China's Shandong province.

Doctor Liu Chao, who is head of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the facility, said: "When she came in, her wound was covered with gauze. I removed it and saw 50 to 60 squirming maggots."

Liu and his team cleansed the festering wound of dead tissue and removed the dozens of live specimens from the woman's cheek.

He added: "During surgery on 7th October, we found a larger hole inside her face.

"We cleansed that wound very carefully as well, using microscopes, but there is a possibility that numerous smaller maggots still remain."

The medic said the pensioner would be kept under observation in case she needs more treatment.

Explaining how the pensioner could suffer such an infestation, Liu said: "I've never come across a case like this before. Some of my older colleagues and professors say these cases were more common in the 50s and 60s.

"It's possible that after the tumour on her face broke, it revealed the soft tissue inside which was enough to nourish the parasites.

"But this also requires that a fly laid eggs in the exact spot at the right time, allowing the larvae to hatch into the wound.

"Then the wound must have been covered, otherwise the eggs could've been washed away.

"I believe her situation was caused by a combination of these above factors. Added to that her old age and her body's inability to repel the parasites."