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E-Book 3rd Congress

  • Importance and diagnosis of skin ectoparasites: Demodex folliculorum, Demodex brevis and Sarcoptes scabiei
  • Aysan Asadian,1,* Pariya Ahmadizadeh,2 Ata Golsanamloo,3 Mohammad Taghi Ahady,4
    1. Undergraduate student of Microbiology, Department of Biology, Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University
    2. Undergraduate student, Department of Laboratory Sciences, Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University
    3. Undergraduate student of Microbiology, Department of Biology, Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University
    4. PhD of Parasitology, Department of Biology, Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University


  • Introduction: Introduction: Skin care, in addition to beauty, is also important in terms of Health and Prevention of some severe infections. There are various ectoparasites that can cause infections and skin lesions, especially on the skin of the head and face. Among these external parasites of the skin are some species of mites, including Demodex folliculorum, Demodex Brevis, and Sarcoptes scabiei. These three important species of mites in case of severe contamination in human skin can lead to the occurrence of many skin complications and lesions, including itching, redness, eczema, skin inflammation, dermatitis, hair loss, head and face rashes, acne, rosacea, rough skin and blepharitis. Therefore, accurate and timely diagnosis of ectoparasites can help a lot to maintain skin health and care for it. The aim of this systematic review study was to introduce the simplest and most appropriate method of detecting skin contamination with demodex and sarcoptes ectoparasites based on research papers published over the past 12 years.
  • Methods: Methods: In this systematic review study, in order to access specialized resources and collect published scientific and research articles, authoritative websites including Google Scholar, Science Direct, pubmed, web of science, scopus, elsevier, magiran, sid, and irandoc were referred. Keywords used in Internet search were ectoparasites, external parasites, diagnosis of ectoparasites, Demodex folliculorum, Demodex brevis, Sarcoptes scabiei, diagnosis of demodicosis, and diagnosis of scabies. Published articles in Persian and English from 2012 to 2023 were collected. The criteria for the entry of articles into the study was the direct relationship of their content to the method of detecting ectoparasites and the criteria for the exit of articles from the study to address various topics of ectoparasites in articles other than their laboratory diagnosis.
  • Results: Results: One hundred forty papers were collected and 48 of them were selected for the present study based on the relationship of their content to the laboratory diagnosis of ectoparasites. Based on the results and contents of these 48 articles, it was found that all over the world, one of the simplest and most appropriate methods of detecting ectoparasite contamination, including Demodex folliculorum, Demodex Brevis, and Sarcoptes scabiei, is the microscopic observation method. On the other hand, skin sampling and scraping of skin lesions, clarifying the sample by adding 10% potassium hydroxide solution and lactophenol, preparing microscopic smears and finally direct observation with an optical microscope is the simplest and most appropriate method of laboratory diagnosis of ectoparasites. The definitive diagnosis of the species of ectoparasites and mites is based on their morphological characteristics, especially their size and some body parts, as standard gold and by referring to specialized sources and reference books.
  • Conclusion: Conclusion: Based on the results of this systematic review study, it is concluded that among the types of ectoparasites Demodex folliculorum, Demodex Brevis and Sarcoptes scabiei are the most important and common human skin parasites. And the most appropriate and simple laboratory diagnosis of skin ectoparasites is microscopy technique based on morphological characteristics and reliable references.
  • Keywords: Keywords: Ectoparasite, Demodex folliculorum, Demodex brevis, Sarcoptes scabiei,Laboratory diagnosis