1/2. Stowaways with wings: two case reports on high-flying insects.More people than ever before are traversing continents, either for business purposes or on holiday. Because 3-10 percent of these travelers experience skin, hair, or nail disorders related to these trips there is an increasing likelihood that Western physicians will be expected to treat exotic conditions imported from different countries. tungiasis and furunculoid myiasis are two typical disorders of intertropical regions. They represent nuisances induced by the presence of arthropod larvae or eggs in the skin. We describe a case of tungiasis, caused by the sand flea tunga penetrans (TP), and a case of myiasis, caused by Dermatobia hominis (DH), and briefly discuss the epidemiology, biologic life cycles, vectors, reservoirs, and clinical presentations of these parasites.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/2. tungiasis in tennessee.tungiasis, an infestation by a burrowing flea, may cause multiple, painful lesions which, if they become secondarily infected, may eventuate in death. With increasing air travel to tropical areas, American physicians should recognize the lesion of this intracutaneous parasite. The fully developed lesion resembles an abscess with a black center. An infestation diagnosed in Memphis, tennessee, is reported in a businessman who had returned from brazil. Treatment consists of excision of the gravid female flea and careful cleaning of the cystic cavity. Healing is usually complete without sequelae. In an early infestation, the smaller gravid female, like a splinter, can be removed with a sterile needle. tetanus prophylaxis may be indicated, depending on the wound and its location.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |