Primary pediculosis ear- A case report

Foreign bodies (FB) in the ears, nose or throat are a common occurrence in otorhinolaryngology (ENT) emergency services. However live insects are comparatively rare. Foreign bodies have been estimated to account for approximately 11% of all the cases seen in ENT services.(1) A large variety of live foreign bodies in ear are reported in literature, however not the lice. Pediculosis is infestation of hairy parts of body or clothing with eggs, larvae or adults of lice. It is commonly encountered in paediatric population in the age group of 6-12 years.(2) In rural areas, prevalance rate of infestation was recorded to be 20.5%.(3) Girls are 2-4 times more frequently infested than boys, especially in countryside. Different species of lice prefer to feed on certain locations on the body of the host. They include Pediculosis capitis (head lice), Pediculosis corporis (body lice), and Phthirus pubis (pubic lice). Finding a lice primarily in the hairs of external auditory canal is unknown, hence putting forward this case.