Clinical and experimental dermatology
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Since ancient times, larval therapy has been reputed to help wound healing. Its use has recently been rediscovered and it is now enjoying increasing interest in clinical practice, as well as in research. We have investigated the effects of larval therapy on wounds in an open study of 74 patients with necrotic or sloughy chronic ulcers of different aetiologies. ⋯ No serious side-effects were observed. One-quarter of the study group experienced less pain during treatment, while 41% felt no difference in pain, and, although 34% noted an increase in pain, most of these patients wanted to continue the treatment because of subjective and objective visual improvement in wound debridement. In conclusion, we found larval therapy to be effective for debriding ulcers, easy to use and well accepted by the patients.