Dr. Rockoff received his undergraduate degree from Yeshiva College with the distinction of Summa Cum Laude. He received his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. His internship and two years of Pediatric residency were at the Bronx Municipal Hospital Center, followed by training in Dermatology at the combined residency program at Tufts and Boston Universities. Dr. Rockoff is certified by both the American Board of Dermatology and the American Board of Pediatrics.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Scabies is very easy to misdiagnose because early subtle infestation may look like small pimples or mosquito bites. Those affected may believe they have another condition, such as bedbug bites or other kinds of rashes. Over a few weeks, however, mistakes like this become evident as patients feel worse and worse with symptoms they can't ignore.
What are possible complications of scabies?
The intense itching of scabies leads to prolonged and often intense scratching of the skin. When the skin is broken or injured due to scratching, secondary bacterial infections of the skin can develop from bacteria normally present on the skin, such as
Staphylococcus aureus or beta-hemolytic streptococci.
In what special situations can scabies be more easily spread?
Elderly and weakened people in nursing homes and similar institutional settings may harbor scabies without showing significant itching or visible signs. In such cases, there can be widespread epidemics among patients and health-care workers. Such cases are dramatic but, fortunately, uncommon.
What is Norwegian or crusted scabies?
Norwegian scabies, or crusted scabies, is a severe form of scabies first described in Norway. Crusted scabies almost always affects people with a compromised immune system and is observed most frequently in the elderly, those who are mentally or physically disabled, and in patients with AIDS, lymphoma, or other conditions that decrease the effectiveness of the immune response. Due to the poor function of the immune system, an individual may become infested with hundreds of thousands of the mites. The lesions of this distinctive form of scabies are extensive and may spread all over the body. The elbows, knees, palms, scalp, and soles of the feet are most commonly the original sites of involvement, and the scaly areas eventually take on a wart-like appearance. The fingernails can be thickened and discolored. Interestingly, itching may be minimal or absent in this form of scabies.
A particular danger of crusted scabies is that these lesions often predispose to the development of secondary infections, as with staphylococcus bacteria.
Medically reviewed by Norman Levine, MD,
Board Certified - American Board of Dermatology
REFERENCES:
Chosidow, O.
"Clinical Practices. Scabies."
N Engl J Med 354.16 Apr. 2006: 1718-1727.
Cordoro, Kelly M. "Dermatologic Manifestations of Scabies." Medscape. Dec. 9, 2009. <http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1109204-overview>.
Dourmishev, A.L., L.A. Dourmishev, and R.A. Schwartz. "Ivermectin: Pharmacology and
Application in Dermatology."
Int J Dermatol 44.12 Dec. 2005: 981-988.
McCroskey, Amy L., and Adam J. Rosh. "Scabies." eMedicine.com. Apr. 5, 2010. <http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/785873-overview>.
United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Scabies." Nov. 10, 2008. <http://www.cdc.gov/scabies/index.html>.
The word "rash" means an outbreak of red bumps on the body. The way people use this term, "a rash" can refer to many different skin conditions. The most common of these are scaly patches of skin and red, itchy bumps or patches all over the place.
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs,
are infections that are transmitted during any type of sexual exposure,
including intercourse (vaginal or anal), oral sex, and the sharing of sexual
devices, such as vibrators. Women can contract all of the STDs, but may have no symptoms, or have different symptoms than men do.
Itching can be a common problem. Itches can be localized or generalized. There are many causes of itching to include: infection (jock itch, vaginal itch), disease (hyperthyroidism, liver or kidney), reactions to drugs, and skin infestations (pubic or body lice). Treatment for itching varies depending on the cause of the itch.
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, are infections that are transmitted during any
type of sexual exposure, including intercourse (vaginal or anal), oral sex, and
the sharing of sexual devices, such as vibrators. Although treatment exists for many STDs, others currently are
usually incurable, such as those caused by HIV, HPV, hepatitis B and C, and HHV-8.
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