DR MOHAMMED IRFAN SHEIKH over 5 years ago

A Lousy Diagnosis

A 56-year-old man presented with a 3-month history of generalized pruritus. Physical examination was notable for small black dots between body hairs on the abdomen and pelvis. Dermoscopic examination of the abdomen revealed a pubic louse, which is smaller than the head louse and has a round form and thick back legs with large claws. Video obtained with the use of epiluminescence microscopy provided a magnified view of the characteristics of the parasite (see video). The pubic louse, which is also known as the crab louse because of its morphologic features, can cause intense pruritus. This patient was treated successfully with shaving of the abdomen and pubic area and with a single 8-hour application of 5% permethrin cream.