Drug eruption-like scabies surrepticius: an uncommonly described variant of scabies appearing in a non-classic clinical presentation

The differential diagnoses and complications of scabies variants

“…The differential diagnosis of scabies is broad and includes various skin disorders 2 . Physicians may use objective evidence to confirm the diagnosis of scabies or subjective observations to meet the criteria for a clinical diagnosis or a suspected diagnosis of scabies when a patient presents with classic symptoms such as itching that worsens at night and lesions suggestive of mite infestation, such as burrows located on the flexor areas 25 .…”

“…When patients present with atypical symptoms of scabies, physicians may not suspect that it is a mite-associated dermatosis 25 . Therefore, it can be difficult to make a definitive diagnosis of scabies surrepticius (non-classical scabies), especially when the clinical history and morphologic features of the lesions suggest another disease or the lesions are infected with a bacterial or viral infection 25 .…”

“…In patients with chronic or progressive skin problems, the possibility of scabies should be considered and further diagnostic testing should be performed, especially if the skin is itchy and unresponsive to therapeutic measures 25 .…”

“…Scabies masquerading as an adverse drug reaction has rarely been described 25 . In any patient with a suspected drug eruption who develops pruritic dermatosis after discontinuation of the drug and presents with clinical lesions resembling crusted scabies, the physicians should be aware of the possibility of drug eruption-like scabies (scabies surrepticius) 25 .…”