Demodex Mite Infections: About Two Cases of Demodicosis on Rosacea Associated Respectively with Recurrent Chalazion and Allergic Rhinitis in Dakar, Senegal

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology, Aristide Le Dantec University Hospital, Dakar 3001, Senegal.

2 Laboratory of Medical Biology, Pasteur Institute, Dakar, Senegal.

3 Cabinet de Dermatologie-Vénérologie, 70 rue Amadou Assane Ndoye, Dakar 22 103, Senegal.

Abstract

Demodicosis is an ectoparasitic disease caused by Demodex spp. Generally asymptomatic in healthy individuals, the incidence and the pathogenicity of Demodex mites are increased when the host presents facial skin diseases such as rosacea. In addition, rosacea is often diagnosed in light-skinned patients and is much less evoked in patients with darker skin - as in Sub-Saharan Africa - in whom it is probably underdiagnosed. Thus, we reported two cases of D. folliculorum infestation associated with rosacea in Dakar, Senegal. The first case was a 32-year-old woman with symmetrical erythema of the cheeks, formed by superficial papulopustular lesions, evoking rosacea-like demodicosis lasting for several weeks and associated with recurrent chalazion. The second case concerns a 40-year-old man with deep, embedded, and painful papulopustular lesions located on the cheeks, the peri-oral, and peri-auricular areas less than a month ago. He presented such lesions three months ago, and more than six months ago. The two patients were sent to the parasitology and mycology laboratory in Aristide Le Dantec University Hospital for parasitological analysis which revealed adult forms of Demodex folliculorum in large quantities, associated with eggs in the second case. Initiation of oral treatment with ivermectin and doxycycline tablets, combined with local treatment with metronidazole, for six weeks, led to the disappearance of the symptomatology for both two cases.

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