Scabies

By Ted Rosen, MD | January 16, 2013

Dr Rosen is Professor of Dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine and Chief of the Dermatology Service at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, both in Houston, Texas.

A 16-year-old boy sought medical attention because of extremely pruritic nodules on the penis and scrotum. He also had mild itching on the wrists and between several finger webs.

Key point: This distribution of a pruritic dermatosis is classic for scabies. This disorder is acquired primarily via close, personal contact. The patient admitted to sexual relationships with several older women. A mineral oil prep of a scraping from the crusted center of a scrotal nodule revealed the characteristic mite.

Treatment: The eruption cleared following 2 oral doses of ivermectin(Drug information on ivermectin), 200 µg/kg.

Note: While topical permethrin(Drug information on permethrin) therapy may be effective, the CDC now also recommends ivermectin as first-line therapy.

TOPIC INDEX

Developmental/Genetic

Nutritional/Metabolic

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Scabies

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