Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis: three-dimensional structure of a female imago and crusted scabies lesions by X-ray micro-CT.
The three-dimensional structure of scabies mites (Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis) and keratin layers affected by crusted scabies lesions were obtained using X-ray computed tomography at sub-micrometer and micrometer resolution, respectively (X-ray micro-CT). Clear three-dimensional images including internal structure of scabies mites were obtained. Utilizing reconstructed micro-CT data, the sections of the capitulum (head part), digestive organs, and legs are shown. The reconstructed capitulum shows a jaw-like structure capable of penetrating the keratin layer of the skin. The tip of the forelegs of female scabies mites has a flat disk structure that may be used to grasp the skin surface. The keratin layer of a crusted scabies lesion spontaneously exfoliated from a patient was also reconstructed by the X-ray micro-CT technique. Extracted sections from CT data revealed a network structure of tunnels made by scabies mites with numerous larvae and eggs inside the tunnels.
Department of Physics, Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashimita, Tama-ku, Kawasaki 214-8571, Japan. hyoshi@isc.meiji.ac.jp
Hideyuki
H
Yoshimura
Takuji
T
Ohigashi
Masayuki
M
Uesugi
Kentaro
K
Uesugi
Toshiaki
T
Higashikawa
Ryuichi
R
Nakamura
Yoshinori
Y
Mori
Kunio
K
Shinohara
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D012520:Sarcoptes scabiei / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012532:Scabies / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D012867:Skin / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography