Unilateral Demodicidosis in a Patient with Seborrheic Dermatitis / 대한의진균학회지

ABSTRACT

Demodex mites are considered part of the normal skin flora. Typically, Demodex is harmless and causes no clinical symptoms. We present a 43-year-old woman with pruritic erythematous plaque and papulopustular eruptions on the right cheek. The patient was treated seborrheic dermatitis in face from several years ago. However, the lesion was aggravated after continuous topical steroid usage for several months at a local clinic. Histological examinations revealed Demodex mites in the follicular ostia with perivascular and perifollicular lymphohistiocytic inflammation. Treatment was initiated with metronidazole at a dose of 250 mg three times per day and then crotamiton ointment once daily. The lesion showed marked improvement after six weeks of treatment with mild residual erythema. The findings presented here indicate that Demodex infestation should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unilateral follicular eruptions of the face.