Boy having difficulty breathing coughs up a five-inch leech in front of horrified doctors Doctors were left stunned after a boy suffering breathing difficulties coughed up a blood-soaked live leech from his throat.
However, doctors determined that the leech had been inside Xiaoxiang's lungs for a significant period of time, causing a serious infection.
The foreign object was investigated by doctors, leading them to discover it was a live leech measuring around five inches (12cm) in length.
This proved to be successful and Xiaoxiang's lungs were restored so that he could recover from his breathing difficulties.
If attempts were unsuccessful to remove the leech, the insect could have blocked the child's airways, causing suffocation.
