Head lice

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Head lice

Nit on human hair

Lice, head - nits in the hair with close-up

Head louse emerging from egg

Head louse, male

Head louse - female

Head louse infestation - scalp

Head lice

Alternative Names:

Lice - head; Nits; Pediculosis capitis - head lice
Symptoms:

Intense itching of the scalp.
Small, red bumps on the scalp, neck, and shoulders. Bumps may become crusty and ooze.
Lice on scalp and clothing. These may be difficult to see, unless the infestation is heavy)
Eggs (nits) on the hair shaft -- tiny white specks firmly attached to the base of the hair shaft.

Signs and tests:

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Lice can be seen and identified by looking closely. Using disposable gloves, inspect the head of anyone who might have been exposed to lice under a bright light. Full sun or the brightest lights in your home during daylight hours work well. A magnifying glass can also help.

Part the hair all the way down to the scalp in very small sections, looking both for moving lice and eggs (nits). Inspect the entire head this way. Look closely around the nape of the neck and ears, the most common locations for eggs. Treatment is recommended if even one egg is found.

The infestation may be confined to the scalp or may include the surface of the body (body lice), including the groin area (pubic lice).

References:

Long SS, Pickering LK, Prober, CG, eds. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 2nd Ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone, 2003.

Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles of Infectious Diseases. 5^th Ed. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone, 2000:2972-2973.

Goetz CG, Pappert EJ. Textbook of Clinical Neurology. 2^nd Ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 2003.