Scanning electron microscopic examination of the egg of the pubic louse (Anoplura: Pthirus pubis)

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to examine the eggs of pubic lice with consideration of their clinical relevance. STUDY DESIGN: Pubic lice eggs were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). RESULTS: The egg is totally encased by a proteinaceous sheath, except for the operculum, by which oxygen exchange occurs. CONCLUSION: Pubic lice have proved resilient to human therapies through the ages. The anatomical target of topical insecticides for ovicidal kill is the operculum and the protective layers that surround the developing embryo. More research into these structures is warranted.