Abstract
Scabies is a highly contagious ectoparasitosis caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei hominis. Dermatoscopy, which allows the noninvasive, in vivo examination of the entire skin surface in a few minutes, has been demonstrated to be equivalent to scraping in terms of diagnostic accuracy. At low magnification (×10), it shows burrows and detects small dark triangular structures corresponding to the mites’ heads. Higher magnifications (>×100) provide detailed and unequivocal images of the mites, also allowing the detection of eggs and feces, usually not appreciable at lower magnifications. Dermatoscopy is also useful for the screening of asymptomatic contacts and family members and for post-therapeutic follow-up.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Chosidow O (2006) Clinical practices. Scabies. N Engl J Med 20:354–356
Andrews RM, McCarthy J, Carapetis JR, Currie BJ (2009) Skin disorders, including pyoderma, scabies, and tinea infections. Ped Clin North Am 56:1421–1440
Walton SF, Dougall A, Pizzutto S et al (2004) Genetic epidemiology of Sarcoptes scabiei (Acari: Sarcoptidae) in northern Australia. Int J Parasitol 34:839–884
Janniger CK, Micali G, Hengge U, et al. Scabies. eMedicine Pediatrics [journal serial online]. 2008.
Micali G, Lacarrubba F, Lo Guzzo G (2000) Scraping versus video dermatoscopy for diagnosis of scabies: a comparative study (letter). Acta Derm Venereol 79:396
Chosidow O (2000) Scabies and pediculosis. Lancet 355:819–826
Steen CJ, Carbonaro PA, Schwartz RA (2004) Arthropods in dermatology. J Am Acad Dermatol 50:819–842
Vaidya DC, Schwartz RA (2008) Prurigo nodularis: a benign dermatosis derived from a persistent pruritus. Acta Dermatovenerol Croat 16:38–44
Argenziano G, Fabbrocini G, Delfino M (1997) Epiluminescence microscopy. A new approach to in vivo detection of Sarcoptes scabiei. Arch Dermatol 133:751–753
Lacarrubba F, Micali G (2013) Videodermatoscopy and scabies. J Pediatr 163:1227–1227.e1
Zalaudek I, Giacomel J, Cabo H et al (2008) Entodermoscopy: a new tool for diagnosing skin infections and infestations. Dermatology 216:14–23
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Micali, G., Giuffrida, G., Quattrocchi, E., Lacarrubba, F. (2018). Scabies. In: Micali, G., Lacarrubba, F., Stinco, G., Argenziano, G., Neri, I. (eds) Atlas of Pediatric Dermatoscopy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71168-3_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71168-3_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71167-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-71168-3
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)