Academic Journal
The Impact of Steroid Use on Scabies Treatment: An Evaluation of Clinical Severity, Parasite Burden, and the Validity of a Novel Scoring System.
| Τίτλος: | The Impact of Steroid Use on Scabies Treatment: An Evaluation of Clinical Severity, Parasite Burden, and the Validity of a Novel Scoring System. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Güder S; Department of Dermatology, Bezmialem Vakıf University, Istanbul, Turkey., Küçük ÖS; Department of Dermatology, Bezmialem Vakıf University, Istanbul, Turkey., Dizman D; Department of Dermatology, Bezmialem Vakıf University, Istanbul, Turkey., Temiz SNY; Department of Dermatology, Maltepe University, Istanbul, Turkey., Gencebay G; Department of Dermatology, Bezmialem Vakıf University, Istanbul, Turkey., Özay M; Department of Dermatology, Bezmialem Vakıf University, Istanbul, Turkey., Güder H; Department of Dermatology, Maltepe University, Istanbul, Turkey. |
| Πηγή: | International journal of dermatology [Int J Dermatol] 2026 Sep; Vol. 65 (9), pp. 1856-1863. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Mar 01. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Validation Study |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Blackwell Science Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 0243704 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1365-4632 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00119059 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Int J Dermatol Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: Oxford : Blackwell Science Original Publication: Philadelphia, Lippincott. |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Scabies*/drug therapy , Scabies*/diagnosis , Scabies*/parasitology , Adrenal Cortex Hormones*/therapeutic use , Glucocorticoids*/therapeutic use , Severity of Illness Index*, Pruritus/drug therapy ; Pruritus/parasitology ; Humans ; Female ; Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Animals ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Reproducibility of Results ; Dermoscopy |
| Περίληψη: | Background: Corticosteroids are frequently used to relieve pruritus or eczematization in scabies, but empirical or prolonged use before diagnosis may modify the disease course. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the impact of corticosteroid exposure (misdiagnosis-related or adjunctive) on clinical severity, mite burden, and healing time, and to assess the initial measurement properties of a novel composite scoring system for standardized severity assessment. Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical study, 180 adults (18-50 years) with dermoscopically confirmed scabies were classified into three groups: misdiagnosed (steroid-only), standard therapy + steroid, and standard therapy. Severity was assessed using a 0-9 composite score integrating pruritus (NRS), mite index, and body surface area involvement (BSA). Internal consistency (Cronbach's α) and inter-rater reliability (ICC) were evaluated. Results: Both steroid-exposed groups showed significantly higher severity scores (all p < 0.001), longer disease duration (median 8 weeks vs. 3 weeks), and delayed healing compared with standard therapy. Steroid duration correlated with mite index, BSA, and total score (all p ≤ 0.005). The scale showed borderline-to-acceptable internal consistency; ICC was good for NRS (0.79) and fair-to-moderate for the total score (0.45). Conclusion: Prior or concurrent corticosteroid exposure increases disease severity and delays recovery in scabies, likely by suppressing local immune responses. The proposed Scabies Severity Scale is a practical, preliminary tool for standardized severity assessment, pending external validation. (© 2026 the International Society of Dermatology.) |
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| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: corticosteroid exposure; dermoscopy; disease severity; mite index; scabies; scabies severity scale; steroid‐modified scabies |
| Substance Nomenclature: | 0 (Adrenal Cortex Hormones) 0 (Glucocorticoids) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260301 Date Completed: 20260804 Latest Revision: 20260813 |
| Update Code: | 20260813 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13436245 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/ijd.70326 |
| PMID: | 41765874 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1365-4632 |
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| DOI: | 10.1111/ijd.70326 |