Phthiriasis palpebrarum is a rare disease in which crab lice infest the eyelashes. It can cause pruritic lid margins or unusual blepharoconjunctivitis and is difficult to diagnose and treat. We diagnosed and managed a case of phthiriasis palpebrarum in both upper eyelids, accompanied by nits, on the scalp of a 6 year-old female child. We removed the eyelashes, including lice and nits, by pulling with fine forceps without sedation. On the second month after treatment, all lice and nits were eradicated without recurrence and the eyelashes grew back. In conclusion, phthiriasis palpebrarum can be diagnosed by close examination of the eyelashes and eyelid margins with slit lamp and can be managed mechanically.
Child ; *Eyelashes ; Eyelid Diseases/*therapy ; Female ; *Hair Removal/methods ; Human ; Lice Infestations/*therapy ; *Phthirus

Total of 7, 495 children including 3, 908 boys and 3, 587 girls from a kindergarten and 15 primary schools were examined for head lice infestation (HLI). The overall prevalence of HLI in this study was found to be 5.8%. Head lice were much more commonly detected in girls than in boys with prevalence of 11.2% and 0.9%, respectively. Sixty-nine children with HLI were treated with 1% lindane shampoo alone (group 1), and 45 children with HLI were treated with 1% lindane shampoo and oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (group 2), and follow-up visits were conducted 2 and 4 weeks later. The children who still had HLI 2 weeks after the primary treatment were treated again. At the 2-week follow-up visit, the treatment success rates of groups 1 and 2 were 76.8% and 86.7%, respectively, and at the 4-week follow-up visit, the rates were 91.3% and 97.8%, respectively. No statistically significant synergistic effect was observed for the combination of a 1% lindane shampoo and oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.
Animals ; Anti-Infective Agents/therapeutic use ; Child ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; *Hair Preparations ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Lice Infestations/*drug therapy/*epidemiology ; Lindane/*therapeutic use ; Male ; *Pediculus ; Prevalence ; Students ; Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Combination/*therapeutic use

Some parasitic diseases are more prevalent in children than in adults. Such agespecific diseases usually result from the mode of infection. Enterobiasis and head lice infestations are contact-borne. Congenital toxoplasmosis is a transplacental infection. Hepatic capillariasis results from contact with an environment contaminated with cat stools. Enterobiasis is the most common helminthic disease in children. The diagnosis and treatment is difficult because of its characteristic life cycle: eggs are present at the end of the life of the female adult worm. Vigorous screening and repeated chemotherapy for the entire family and contact group are required. Recently, there have been reports of congenital toxoplasmosis. There may be an increase in the number of cases of toxoplasmosis owing to the increase in the number of stray cats. Cryptosporidiosis does not evoke serious illness in immunocompetent children, while severe diarrhea can occur in immunocompromised children. One case of hepatic capillariasis has been reported in Korea. Owing to its high morbidity and mortality, prompt diagnosis and treatment are required. Head lice infestation is easy to diagnose and is still an indication of public health status. Mass screening and prevention are required. In local clinics, parasitic diseases are rarely suspected, since their incidence is very low and the symptoms are usually non-specific, except in a few parasitic diseases. Therefore, a thorough evaluation of the symptoms and past history and appropriate laboratory tests are necessary.
Adult ; Animals ; Cats ; Child* ; Cryptosporidiosis ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Drug Therapy ; Eggs ; Enterobiasis ; Female ; Helminths ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lice Infestations ; Life Cycle Stages ; Mass Screening ; Mortality ; Ovum ; Parasitic Diseases* ; Pediculus ; Public Health ; Toxoplasmosis ; Toxoplasmosis, Congenital