Scabies is an ectoparasitic, highly contagious skin disease caused by a mite called Sarcoptes scabiei. The insecticides ivermectin and permethrin are commonly used for treatment of scabies. This study aimed at comparing the efficacy of oral ivermectin with topical permethrin in treating scabies. Two hundred and forty-two patients with scabies attending the dermatology outpatient department of Sina Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences were admitted. Patients were divided into two groups randomly. The first group and their family contacts received 5% permethrin cream and the other received oral ivermectin. Treatment was evaluated at intervals of 2 and 4 weeks. A single dose of ivermectin provided a cure rate of 85.9% at a 2-week interval, which increased to 100% after crossing over to the permethrin group at a 4-week interval. Twice application of permethrin with a 1-week interval was effective in 92.5% of patients, which increased to 94.2% after crossing over to the ivermectin group at a 4-week interval. Permethrin-treated patients recovered earlier. Twice application of permethrin with a 1-week interval is superior to a single dose of ivermectin. The temporal dissociation in clinical response suggests that ivermectin may not be effective against all the stages in the life cycle of the parasite.

Objective: Treatment of scabies is an important issue in infectious dermatology. The aim of this study was to specify whether permethrin is effective for the treatment of human scabies and to compare its effectiveness with that of 1% lindane by topical application. Methods: 220 patients with scabies with the mean age of 44 ± 12/24 attended the study. Patients were divided into two groups randomly. The first group and their family contacts received 5% permethrin cream and the other received 1% lindane lotion. Treatment was evaluated at intervals of 2 and 4 weeks. Results: Of 254 patients, 220 completed the study. 110 in the group treated with lindane and 110 in the group treated with permethrin. Permethrin provided an improvement rate of 92 (83.6%) after 2 weeks, whereas lindane was effective only in 54 (49%) of patients. After 4 weeks improvement rate was 96.3% (106 of 110) in permethrin group since it was only 69.1% (76 of 110) in lindane group. Conclusion: Permethrin (5%) cream was found to be significantly more effective in the treatment of scabies in comparison with lindane in this study. There were no adverse effects with either permethrin or lindane.

Methotrexate (MTX) is a systemic immunosuppressant drug used for the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Previous studies demonstrated a potential association between psoriasis and diabetes mellitus, obesity, atherosclerosis, hypertension, eventuating into metabolic syndrome. This study aimed at exploring the glycemic effects of MTX in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients. In this prospective cross-sectional study, 27 patients with PsA were evaluated. The status of PsA and presence of accompanying metabolic syndrome was determined by standard criteria and indices. Blood indicators including HbA1c, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein were examined before and 12 weeks after MTX therapy. There were no significant changes between HbA1c levels before and after MTX therapy in both genders (men: P=0.131, women: P=0.803). In addition, HbA1c levels in PsA patients with metabolic syndrome were not different before and after treatment (P=0.250). Finally, HbA1c levels did not change in PsA patients without metabolic syndrome before and after therapy (P=0.506). MTX in PsA patients does not appear to have hyperglycaemic effects in the short-term and can be safely used in patients with metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

Sertaconazole 2 % cream may be an excellent alternative therapeutic modality for treating SD.

A single dose of ivermectin was as effective as one application of crotamiton 10% cream at the two-week follow-up. After repeat treatment, ivermectin was superior to crotamiton 10% cream at the four-week follow up. The delay in clinical response with ivermectin suggests that it may not be effective against all the stages in the life cycle of the parasite.