ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Scabies is an ectoparasite caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis, an obligate human parasite. Although its incidence has been decreasing, it is not a rare dermatologic disease and is difficult to diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical characteristics of scabies patients and find out etiologic factors in transmission. METHODS: Two hundred and ninety-five patients who were diagnosed with scabies at the Dermatologic Department, Myongji Hospital, Goyang city, Korea were enrolled. Medical records were evaluated in a retrospective manner. RESULTS: We studied 295 scabies patients who were diagnosed by the mineral oil test or skin biopsy. The mean age of the patients was 58.2 (male: 56.7/female: 61.2), and 74% of patients were over 60 years. There was seasonal variation in occurrence, and scabies was found to be most common in winter. The majority of suspected routes of infection were transmission through convalescent hospitals (38.1%) and caregivers (15.2%). Nosocomial infection and communal living were the major causes. 73.8% of scabies patients had underlying medical disease, such as hypertension (32.2%) and dementia (11.9%). CONCLUSION: Currently, scabies prevalence is still increasing in Goyang city, because of the increased number of convalescent hospitals.