Scabies

Your Path

  • Scabies

Etiology

  • Caused by the human itch mite
  • Burrows into upper layer of skin, where live and lay eggs

Risk Factors

  • Spread is person to person, including via sexual contact (not via fomites)
  • Others affected in same home
  • Can have outbreaks in nursing homes and hospitals
  • HIV+ w/low CD4 associated w/Norwegian (crusted) scabies

Symptoms

  • Can be acute or chronic
  • Intense itching→in particular at night
  • Persistent symptoms after treatment can be from allergic reaction to mite antigen (after its been killed), in which case itching but no new lesions - or re-infection (new lesions appear)

Physical Exam Findings

  • Predilection for space between fingers, palms, wrists, elbows, axilla, genitalia, buttocks, areolae, though can be anywhere (rarely face, scalp)
  • Sometimes burrows visible, but often just closely clustered, 1-2mm red papules and excoriations seen

Treatments

Links