Maggot Debridement Therapy for Diabetic Foot Ulcer: A Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetic foot problems account for more hospital admissions than any other long term complications of diabetes and are responsible for nearly 50% of all-diabetes-related hospital bed days. Maggot debridement therapy (MDT) offers important advantages for the management of chronic and infected wounds and is used in hundreds of clinics worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the benefit of maggot debridement therapy (MDT) in the treatment of a patient with a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). Case Presentation: A 46-year-old male patient with a 6-year-old diabetic foot wound in the right leg. Maggot larvae were placed on the wound. The patient was followed for 6 weeks and luckily had a good response to treatment. Conclusions: This study concluded that MDT is as powerful as traditional debridement in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. It would be an achievable different option for diabetic foot ulcer treatment. In conclusion, we observed that MDT could promote wound healing by increasing endothelial proliferation, triggering angiogenesis, and maggot excretion/secretion, which might facilitate this process.