Collembola Skin Parasites - "Delusions" Dismissed

 http://www.headlice.org/report/research/index.html

 
COLLEMBOLA (SPRINGTAILS) (ARTHROPODA: HEXAPODA:
ENTOGNATHA) FOUND IN SCRAPINGS FROM INDIVIDUALS
DIAGNOSED WITH DELUSORY PARASITOSIS

Deborah Z. Altschuler,^a Michael Crutcher, MD, MPH, FACPM,^b
Neculai Dulceanu, DVM, PhD (deceased),^c Beth A. Cervantes,^a
Cristina Terinte, MD, PhD,^d and Louis N. Sorkin, BCE^e

^aNational Pediculosis Association, 50 Kearney Road, Needham, Massachusetts 02494;
^bCommissioner of Health, Oklahoma State Department of Health,
1000 NE 10th Street, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73117;
^cDepartment of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Iasi, Romania;
^dDepartment of Pathology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Romania; and
^eDivision of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History,

 Abstract - Twenty individuals diagnosed with delusory parasitosis participated in a single site clinical study under the auspices of the National Pediculosis Association (NPA) and the Oklahoma State Department of Health. The objective of this study was to determine if there were any common factors in skin scrapings collected from this population. These individuals, whose symptoms were originally attributed to lice or scabies, were part of a larger group reporting symptoms of stinging/biting and/or crawling to the NPA. Multiple skin scrapings from each person were microscopically examined. Any and all fields of view that appeared incongruous to normal human skin were digitally photographed. When the photographic images were initially evaluated, no common factor was identified. However, more extensive scrutiny using imaging software revealed evidence of Collembola in 18 of the 20 participants.