Occurrence of Demodex infestation in chronic blepharitis in a tertiary care hospital in North-East India

Authors

  • Suranjana C. Hazarika Department of Microbiology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam, India
  • Himanto N. Hazarika Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam, India
  • Ashwini Ghuge Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20212580

Keywords:

Chronic blepharitis, Demodex folliculorum, Demodex brevis

Abstract

Background: Chronic blepharitis is frequently encountered by ophthalmologists. Demodex mites (Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis) can play a role in its pathogenesis, especially in treatment-resistant cases. Demodex infestation often remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. Definitive diagnosis can be made with lash-sampling. Objective of the study was to find the association between Demodex infestation and chronic blepharitis.

Methods: The study included 80 patients diagnosed with chronic blepharitis and 80 controls without blepharitis. Four eyelashes were epilated from each lower and upper lids of the right and left eye (a total of sixteen samples) of each participant. Eyelash samples were examined under a light microscope and Demodex species were identified and counted.

Results: Demodex mites were detected in 45 cases (56.25%) and 14 controls (17.5%). Significant association was found between demodex infestation and blepharitis as odd’s ratio was found to be 6.0612 and p value <0.0001. D. folliculorum was detected in 42 cases, D. brevis in 2 cases while in one case, both were detected. The mean age for Demodex positive cases and controls were 49.78±13.25 and 64±7.86 years, respectively. Amongst the cases, Demodex was detected in 57.69% males (30 out of 52) and 53.55% females (15 out of 28).

Conclusions: There is significant co-relation between Demodex infestation and chronic blepharitis. Demodex infestation should be part of the differential diagnosis of chronic blepharitis.

Author Biographies

Suranjana C. Hazarika, Department of Microbiology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam, India

Assistant Professor

Department of Microbiology

Gauhati Medical College & Hospital

Guwahati- 781032

Himanto N. Hazarika, Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam, India

Assistant Professor

Regional Institute of Ophthalmology

Gauhati Medical College & Hospital

Guwahati- 781032

Ashwini Ghuge, Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam, India

Senior Resident

Regional Institute of Ophthalmology

Gauhati Medical College & Hospital

Guwahati- 781032

References

Zeytun E, Karakurt Y. Prevalence and load of Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis (Acari: Demodicidae) in patients with chronic blepharitis in the province of Erzincan, Turkey. J Med Entomol. 2019;56(1):2-9.

Post CF, Juhlin E. Demodex folliculorum and blepharitis. Arch Dermatol. 1963;88:298-302.

Horvath A, Neubrandt D, Ghidan A, Nagy K. Risk factors and prevalence of Demodex mites in young adults. Acta Microbiol Immunol Hung. 2011;58(2):145-55.

Gao YY, Pascuale MAD, Li W, Liu DT, Baradaran-Rafii A, Elizondo A, et al. High prevalence of Demodex in eyelashes with cylindrical dandruff. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005;46(9):3089-94.

Patel KG, Raju VK. Ocular demodicosis. W V Med J. 2013;109(3):16-8.

Chen W, Plewig G. Human demodicosis: revisit and a proposed classification. Br J Dermatol. 2014;170(6):1219-25.

Lee SH, Chun YS, Kim JH, Kim ES, Kim JC. The relationship between Demodex and ocular discomfort. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2010;51(6):2906-11.

Bhandari V, Reddy J. Blepharitis: always remember Demodex. Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol. 2014;21(4):317-20.

Galea M, Sharma R, Srinivasan S, Roberts F. Demodex blepharitis mimicking eyelid sebaceous gland carcinoma. Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2014;42(2):208-10.

Laspina F, Samudio M, Arrua M, et al. Demodex spp in patients with chronic blepharitis. Chile J Infectol. 2015;32(1):37-42.

Kemal M, Sumer Z, Toker MI, Erdogan H, Topalkara A, Akbulut M. The prevalence of Demodex folliculorumin blepharitis patients and the normal population. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2005;12(4):287-90.

Talghini S, Fouladi DF, Babaeinejad S, Shenasi R, Samani SM. Demodex mite, rosacea and skin melanoma; coincidence or association? Turkiye Parazitol Derg. 2015;39(1):41-6.

Turk M, Ozturk I, Sener AG, Kuçukbay S, Afsar I, Maden A. Comparison of incidence of Demodex folliculorum on the eyelash follicule in normal people and blepharitis patients. Turkiye Parazitol Derg. 2007;31(4):296-7.

Coston TO. Demodex folliculorum blepharitis. Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc. 1967;65:361-92.

Venecia ABD, Siong RLB. Demodex sp. infestation in anterior blepharitis, meibomian-gland dysfunction, and mixed blepharitis. Philipp J Ophthalmol. 2011;36:15-22.

Zhao YE, Wu LP, Hu L, Xu JR. Association of blepharitis with Demodex: a meta-analysis. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2012;19(2):95-102.

Sümer Z, Arıcı MK, Topalkara A, Özçelik S, Yıldırım S. Prevalence of Demodex folliculorum in patients with chronic blepharitis. Cumhuriyet Med J. 2000;22:69-72.

Arıcı M.K, Sümer Z, Toker MI, Erdoğan H, Topalkara A, Akbulut M. The prevalence of Demodex folliculorum in blepharitis patients and the normal population. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2005;12:287-90.

Kheirkhah A, Casas V, Li W, Raju VK, Tseng SC. Corneal manifestations of ocular Demodex infestation. Am J Ophthalmol. 2007;143(5):743-9.

Türk M, Oztürk I, Sener AG, Küçükbay S, Afşar I, Maden A. Comparison of incidence of Demodex folliculorum on the eyelash follicule in normal people and blepharitis patients. Turkiye Parazitolojii Dergisi. 2007;31(4):296-7.

Altınkurt E, Müftüoğlu O, Uğurlu A, İstanbullu-Tosun A, Aydın R, Avcı O. To investigate the relationship between the grade of blepharitis with presence of Demodex spp. in patients with chronic anterior blepharitis. Turkiye Klinikleri J Ophthalmol. 2017;26:181-6.

Alver O, Kıvanç SA, Budak BA, Tüzemen NU, B, Özmen AT. A clinical scoring system for diagnosis of ocular demodicosis. Med Sci Monit. 2017;23:5862-9.

Zhong J, Tan Y, Li S, Peng L, Wang B, Deng Y, et al. The prevalence of Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis in cylindrical dandruff patients. J Ophthalmol. 2019;2019:8949683.

Elston CA, Elston DM. Demodex mites. Clinic Dermatol. 2014;32(6):739-43.

Downloads

Published

2021-06-25

How to Cite

Hazarika, S. C., Hazarika, H. N., & Ghuge, A. (2021). Occurrence of Demodex infestation in chronic blepharitis in a tertiary care hospital in North-East India. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 8(7), 3322–3327. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20212580

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles