Bug alert! A case report and review of literature on bilateral phthiriasis palpebrarum

Abstract

We report a case of phthiriasis palpebrarum in an immunocompetent individual along with the review of the literature. A 61-year-old woman presented with a 2-month history of itching and burning sensation in both eyes. Examination revealed lice and nits anchored to the eyelashes with a mild follicular conjunctival reaction and no evidence of discharge. The patient recovered fully within 2 weeks after manual removal of the lice and crusts along with topical antibiotic ointment and oral ivermectin, with no evidence of lice or nits on follow-up. This study suggests that patients presenting with itching of the eyelids and other asthenopic symptoms should be carefully examined by slit-lamp examination, to not miss out on unusual diagnoses such as found in this case.

Keywords

• blepharitis
• lice
• phthiriasis
• pruritis
• slit-lamp examination