Severe Demodex infestation of a coal miner

• Published in: Türkiye parazitolojii dergisi Vol. 37; no. 4; pp. 295 - 298
• Main Authors: Toğral, Arzu Karataş, Altındal, Mahmut, Koryürek, Özgül Muştu, Tutkun, Engin, Yılmaz, Ömer Hınç
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Turkey 2013
• Subjects: Adult; Animals; Baths - adverse effects; Baths - methods; Coal; Coal Mining; Dust; Hot Temperature; Humans; Humidity; Luffa - parasitology; Male; Mite Infestations - diagnosis; Mite Infestations - etiology; Mites - growth & development; Occupational Diseases - diagnosis; Occupational Diseases - etiology; Sebum - chemistry
• ISSN: 1300-6320; 2146-3077
• DOI: 10.5152/tpd.2013.3181

We report a case of Demodex infestation in a 35 year old coal miner presenting with a 5 year history of scally papulopustular eruption on his face. He had been working inunderground coal tunnels in a humid- hot- dusty environment and he had been used to bath twice a day with hot water and multiple cleaners. The patient was treated successfully with oral metronidazol, topical permethrin, topical steroids and avoidance of undergraund mining . We believe his occupational environment made him prone to infestation by changes in sebum composition and/or viscosity, his bath habituation facilitated infestation, damaging the epidermal barrier function and his previous treatments exaggerated his infestation. During evaluation of the patient, specific occupational factors and habituations will be related with higher succession rates of treatment. We need to conduct further studies in order to draw a definite conclusion about the effect of the occupational environment on Demodex infestation.