On 25/7, the patient arrived at Binh Dinh Hospital with a bleeding nose, difficulty breathing, and a swollen nasal cavity with multiple fresh blood spots. Doctors discovered a leech in his nasal cavity during an endoscopy.

Dr. Le Dinh Huong, an ENT specialist, performed an endoscopic procedure to remove the live 8-cm leech. The leech had been living in the patient's nose for 7 days. After the procedure, the patient's bleeding stopped, his breathing eased, and his health gradually stabilized.

According to Dr. Huong, leeches can attach themselves to the nasal mucous membrane using suckers and secrete anticoagulants, making them difficult to detect as patients don't feel significant pain. If left untreated, leeches can cause blood loss, infection, mucosal swelling, or even crawl down the bronchi, obstructing the airway and posing a life-threatening risk.

Tran Hoa