Clinical aspects of scabies

Background: Scabies is an ectoparasite caused by the mite Sarcoptesscabiei var. hominis, an obligate human parasite. Although the incidence of scabies is decreased nowadays, it is not rare and it is difficult to diagnose without experience. Objective: We conducted this study to evaluate clinical aspects of patients diagnosed with scabies in the last 4 years. Methods: We evaluated 56 patients who were diagnosed with scabies with a skin biopsy or with me mineral oil test. Medical records and telephone-interviews were used for more information. Results: There were 56 scabies patients, 28 males and 28 females. The mean age of the patients was 54 (male; 44.4/female; 62.9) and 39.3% of patients were over 65 years. The most common affected site was the groin; common cutaneous lesions were pruritic papules and burrow. There was no seasonal variation in occurrence. The majority of suspected routes of infection were unknown but, nosocomial infection and communal living were also major causes. On average, 102 days were required to confirm scabies, which suggests the difficulty in early diagnosis of scabies. Conclusion: We suggest that dermatologists should consider scabies infection in patients who show pruritis that does not improve with ordinary treatment.