Who Has Bugs?

Abstract

To the Editor.— Recently, a 26-month-old female child was brought into our emergency service by her mother who claimed that the child had "bugs." An extensive search for head lice, scabies, or any other evidence of infestation revealed nothing. When the mother was questioned again about where the bugs were, she pointed to the child's skin and tried to demonstrate that she too had them, by vigorously "rubbing" them out of her palms and forearms, again to no avail. It was then noticed that the mother was slightly tremulous and diaphoretic while obviously intensely concerned about the "bugs."