Answer to Case 581

Answer to Parasite Case of the Week 581: Demodex folliculorum, the human follicle mite.

Demodex are fascinating arthropods that live in our follicles and sebaceous glands. There are 2 species found in humans: D. folliculorum and the shorter D. brevis. Many of us have them - especially as we get older - and they are mostly commensals, not causing any symptoms. However, they may cause rosacea and blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids) in some individuals.

As with all arachnids, they have 8 legs as nymphs and adults, and 6 legs as larvae. Adults have a genital opening right below the legs, which allow them to be distinguished from nymphs:

The video from this case shows how many mites can live in a single follicle. Kosta Y. Mumcuoglu noted that there are at least 6 specimens of D. folliculorum present, with at least two of them embedded in the follicle. By viewing the video on full screen mode, I think there may even be more - up to 8 based on the movement I see within the follicle. Wow!

Thanks again to Theodore Trejo for donating this very nice case. I'll close with the fun poem from Old One:

DEMODEX

This micromite is called Demodex

It can be found in many acarology text

Not designed to move very far

8 stubby legs and the shape of a cigar

It dwells in the follicles of old ones brow

And if you didn’t know this by now

Usually nonpathogenic but occasionally is thought

To cause rosacea however this theory is fraught

with controversy. We have only to thank Herr Dr. Jake Henie

Who discovered this mini monster dwelling within Thee

Answer to Case 781

 Answer to Parasite Case of the Week 781: Demodex sp.  The legs and gnathosoma (with mouthparts) are nicely demonstrated:

I can't quite tell if this is D. brevis, or Demodex folliculorum with a scrunched-up tail. 

We've had some great cases of Demodex on the blog over the years. Here is the list in no particular order:

Case of the Week 535 (with a poem from Blaine Mathison 😁), donated by Dr. Kabeer Shah.

Case 581 - showing an adult D. folliculorum and a video of 2 mites within a hair follicle. Also with a poem by Old One. This case was donated by Theodore Trejo and shows beautiful detail of the adult mite.

Case 702 - from the Mayo Clinic Mycology lab showing D. brevis on calcofluor white fluorescent stain.

Cases 278 - showing a pair of mites on calcofluor white fluorescent staining - with another poem from Blaine! I hadn't realized how many poems we have collected. This case was donated by Florida Fan.

Case 606 - donated by Dr. Sandeep T and showing a lovely long D. folliculorum.

Case 772 - This is the tricky case from last month with the twisted tail. Donated by Dr. Evis Nushi.

Case 503 - from Florida Fan with a really nice side-by-side view on light and fluorescence microscopy.

Case 334 - showing several D. folliculorum mites from eyelash scrapings. Donated by Dr. Robin Chamberland - with yet another poem by Blaine. All of the poems are different from one another, and very fun to read. 

Case 58 - the very first Demodex that I ever posted - 16 years ago!

Case 190 - a beautiful example of D. folliculorum in a hair follicle in an H&E-stained histopathology preparation. It was donated by Dr. Holkmann Olsen and is the best example I've ever seen of the mouthparts and legs in a histopathological section. 

Case 308 - and finally, an amazing case by Florida Fan that shows Sarcoptes scabei and Demodex folliculorum mites in the same image. 

I've been blessed to have so many fabulous case donations over the years. Many thanks to Dr. Rasool Jafari for donating this fascinating case.

Case of the Week 581

This week's case was donated by Theodore Trejo. The following were seen in skin scrapings collected from a middle-aged man complaining of itching. The motile objects measure approximately 0.3 mm in length. Identification?

View on full-screen for best visibility:

Answer to Case 774

Answer to the Parasite Case of the Week 774: Demodex! The legs and gnathosoma (with mouthparts) are nicely demonstrated:

I can't quite tell if this is D. brevis, or Demodex folliculorum with a scrunched-up tail. 

We've had some great cases of Demodex on the blog over the years. Here is the list in no particular order:

Case of the Week 535 (with a poem from Blaine Mathison 😁), donated by Dr. Kabeer Shah.

Case 581 - showing an adult D. folliculorum and a video of 2 mites within a hair follicle. Also with a poem by Old One. This case was donated by Theodore Trejo and shows beautiful detail of the adult mite.

Case 702 - from the Mayo Clinic Mycology lab showing D. brevis on calcofluor white fluorescent stain.

Cases 278 - showing a pair of mites on calcofluor white fluorescent staining - with another poem from Blaine! I hadn't realized how many poems we have collected. This case was donated by Florida Fan.

Case 606 - donated by Dr. Sandeep T and showing a lovely long D. folliculorum.

Case 772 - This is the tricky case from last month with the twisted tail. Donated by Dr. Evis Nushi.

Case 503 - from Florida Fan with a really nice side-by-side view on light and fluorescence microscopy.

Case 334 - showing several D. folliculorum mites from eyelash scrapings. Donated by Dr. Robin Chamberland - with yet another poem by Blaine. All of the poems are different from one another, and very fun to read. 

Case 58 - the very first Demodex that I ever posted - 16 years ago!

Case 190 - a beautiful example of D. folliculorum in a hair follicle in an H&E-stained histopathology preparation. It was donated by Dr. Holkmann Olsen and is the best example I've ever seen of the mouthparts and legs in a histopathological section. 

Case 308 - and finally, an amazing case by Florida Fan that shows Sarcoptes scabei and Demodex folliculorum mites in the same image. 

I've been blessed to have so many fabulous case donations over the years. Many thanks to Dr. Rasool Jafari for donating this fascinating case.