Ogbuji Chukwunonye O, Schuck Alexis, DeVries Matthew, Majdinasab Elleana J, Benson Kevin, Zaid-Kaylani Samer, Bhaskaran Smita
Pediatric Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, USA.
School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, USA.
Cureus. 2022 Jun 15;14(6):e25956. doi: 10.7759/cureus.25956. eCollection 2022 Jun.
Pediculosis is a parasitic infestation of the human head and body by This is a benign condition commonly seen in children and capable of causing severe pruritus. The parasite thrives on human blood and in some cases, the volume of blood loss over time could be large enough to precipitate anemic symptoms in the patient. We describe the case of a 13-year-old girl who presented with shortness of breath on exertion, palpitations, and easy fatigability. An incidental finding of infestation was made during physical examination. Complete laboratory investigations did not reveal other possible causes of anemia, leading to a diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) secondary to severe chronic pediculosis. This case highlights a rare and unusual cause of IDA in children caused by pediculosis, and the need for a thorough investigation, close follow-up, and treatment.
头虱病是由头虱寄生于人体头部和身体引起的一种寄生虫感染。这是一种常见于儿童的良性疾病，可引起严重瘙痒。这种寄生虫以人类血液为食，在某些情况下，随着时间的推移，失血量大到足以使患者出现贫血症状。我们报告一例13岁女孩的病例，她表现为活动时气短、心悸和易疲劳。体格检查时偶然发现头虱感染。完整的实验室检查未发现其他可能导致贫血的原因，从而诊断为严重慢性头虱病继发缺铁性贫血（IDA）。该病例凸显了头虱病导致儿童IDA这一罕见且不寻常的病因，以及进行全面检查、密切随访和治疗的必要性。
