Atypically distributed cutaneous lesions of Norwegian scabies in an HIV-positive man in South India: a case report

Immune-compromised subjects, especially those with underlying HIV disease, are prone to be infected with Norwegian scabies, where the cutaneous lesions are classically distributed over the extremities. We report the case of an HIV-positive 16-year-old man with severe crusted Norwegian scabies initia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical case reports 2008-03, Vol.2 (1), p.82-82, Article 82
Main Authors: Ramachandran, Vignesh, Shankar, Esaki Muthu, Devaleenal, Bella, Pachamuthu, Balakrishnan, Thousen, Shieh Mark, Sekar, Ramalingam, Suniti, Solomon, Nagalingeswaran, Kumarasamy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Care and treatment
Case Report
Case studies
Diagnosis
Health aspects
Hemoglobin
HIV patients
Measurement
Scabies
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Summary:Immune-compromised subjects, especially those with underlying HIV disease, are prone to be infected with Norwegian scabies, where the cutaneous lesions are classically distributed over the extremities. We report the case of an HIV-positive 16-year-old man with severe crusted Norwegian scabies initially misdiagnosed as a dermal fungal infection. The patient had extensive, generalized, thick, hyperkeratotic, crusting, yellowish papule lesions distributed on the entire body from his scalp to his toes.The patient was started with Ivermectin and topical Permethrin, which eventually resulted in complete resolution. Interestingly, despite quarantining efforts, one of the patient's acquaintances and a healthcare worker acquired the symptoms of itching. This atypical presentation of Norwegian scabies emphasizes the need to include scabies in the differential diagnosis when HIV-infected patients present with crusted, generalized cutaneous lesions.
ISSN:1752-1947
1752-1947
DOI:10.1186/1752-1947-2-82