Crusted or profuse scabies were considered as “severe scabies”. Scabies diagnosis was performed at 2 different levels: (i) confirmed diagnosis; or (ii) suspected clinical diagnosis. A confirmed diagnosis was a compatible clinical presentation (see below) associated with at least 1 positive investigation (skin scraping, dermoscopic, or histological). Cases without paraclinical confirmation were discussed for inclusion with study investigators expert in the disease (MA, CG, CB) after reviewing the records and the images. Common scabies cases, doubtful cases, or cases where the records were uninterpretable or insufficient were excluded.
For the clinical presentation, the patient’s body was divided into 9 parts. Scabies was considered profuse when skin lesions extended to the whole body or there was a diffuse eruption involving the trunk, the back, the face, or the scalp. If ≥ 1 hyperkeratotic lesion(s) were reported, crusted scabies was diagnosed. A positive paraclinical examination was a skin scraping demonstrating Sarcoptes scabiei mites, eggs or faecal pellets on microscopy, a dermoscopic examination showing the delta sign, or a skin biopsy with mites, eggs or faecal pellets visible in the stratum corneum.
For the clinical presentation, the patient’s body was divided into 9 parts. Scabies was considered profuse when skin lesions extended to the whole body or there was a diffuse eruption involving the trunk, the back, the face, or the scalp. If ≥ 1 hyperkeratotic lesion(s) were reported, crusted scabies was diagnosed. A positive paraclinical examination was a skin scraping demonstrating Sarcoptes scabiei mites, eggs or faecal pellets on microscopy, a dermoscopic examination showing the delta sign, or a skin biopsy with mites, eggs or faecal pellets visible in the stratum corneum.
