Scabies

Scabies, or mange, should be suspected in patients presenting with intense itching that worsens at night, associated with skin lesions such as erythematous papules, vesicles, or nodules distributed in characteristic areas such as the interdigital spaces, wrists, periumbilical region, genitals, buttocks, waist, and, in young children or the elderly, also on the head, neck, palms, and soles. The presence of galleries (grayish grooves measuring 0.5 to 1 cm) is pathognomonic but rarely observed. The diagnosis is reinforced when there are other cases with similar symptoms in the same household or in close contacts.