Scabies Crustosa in a Patient with Insufficientia Renalis-Case Report

BACKGROUND: SScabies is caused by the parasite Sarcoptes scabiei. The disease was first described in ancient Greece, while Ferdinand Von Hebra described the stages of development of the arthropodite from the egg to larvae and the adult form of sarcoptosis. The final stage is characterized by the travel of the female parasite and the laying of eggs in stratum corneum and followed by the death of the causer. The main characteristic symptom of scabies is relentless pruritus which is a result of such an infestation inside the skin, as the body reacts to parasites and their excretions, where mites burrow and lay eggs. METHODS: Here we present the 85-year-old patient with scabies crustosa, latent diabetes and renal insufficiency. RESULTS: Persistent pruritus and scabies rash, where large numbers of mites were detected, was left untreated and further progressed into sores due to scratching. Weakened immunity and chronic illness in the patient resulted in a more severe form of the disease which was diagnosed as scabies crustosa. After treatment with a supplemented antiscabiotic regimen, the patient remained symptom free. CONCLUSION: Large population movements, one of the main factors of spread and frequent incidence of scabies, contact with the sick, hygiene means, exchange of wardrobes, sharing bed with the sick, schools, preschools, old-age-care institutions and hospitals, enable spread of the disease. In addition, severe types of scabies that form thick crusts on the skin and present with pruritus as a symptom should be considered in immunocompromised and elderly patients with renal insufficiency where pruritus is also prevalent.