Reemerging skin disease caused by arthropods II: louse

Seobo Sim; Ki-Soo Pai

doi:10.5124/jkma.2011.54.5.523

J Korean Med Assoc > Volume 54(5); 2011 > Article

Sim and Pai: Reemerging skin disease caused by arthropods II: louse

Continuing Education Column

Journal of the Korean Medical Association

Journal of the Korean Medical Association 2011; 54(5): 523-529.

Published online: May 11, 2011

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2011.54.5.523

Reemerging skin disease caused by arthropods II: louse

Seobo Sim, MD¹, Ki-Soo Pai, MD²

¹Department of Environmental and Tropical Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Chungju, Korea.

²Department of Pediatrics, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.

Corresponding author: Ki-Soo Pai, kisoopai@ajou.ac.kr

Received February 10, 2011 Accepted February 20, 2011

This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

The aim of this article is to provide guidelines to diagnosis and therapeutics for HLI in Korea. Head lice infestation (HLI) caused by Pediculus humanus capitis is still common in Korean children in spite of an improvement since the 1980s in the country's economic status and the concepts of hygiene. HLI is troublesome and, if not treated, can lead to secondary bacterial infection as a result of scratching of the irritated scalp induced by an inflammatory reaction to injected saliva or anticoagulant. In addition, HLI causes social and psychological problems as well as physical symptoms. Confirmation of the HLI depends on identification of adult lice, nymphs, or viable nits. Nits are more commonly found at the nape of the neck and retroauricular areas. The differential diagnosis includes hair casts, dandruff, and debris by hair spray. Few chemical shampoos such as those containing lindane or pyrethrin are currently available in Korea. Although HLI is an important public health issue in Korea, little information is available on HLI. Medical doctors, school nurses, and teachers should be acquainted with HLI for the successful control of this disease, which is distressing a number of children covertly.

Pediculus humanus capitis; Practice guideline; Diagnosis; Therapeutics; Korea

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