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WEDNESDAY, Jan 2, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Examination limited to hands, feet, and lower legs has a sensitivity of about 90 percent for detecting scabies, according to a study published online Dec. 27 in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Michael Marks, Ph.D., from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and colleagues analyzed data from three population-based surveys of scabies. Individuals were classified as having scabies absent or present overall based on whole-body assessment and in each of nine regions of the body. A total of 1,373 individuals with scabies were included.<\/p>\n
The researchers found that the body regions with the highest yield were the hands, feet, and lower legs, with sensitivity of 51.2, 49.7, and 48.3 percent, respectively, compared with whole-body examination. Examination of the exposed components of both limbs yielded a sensitivity of 93.2 percent. Regardless of scabies severity or the presence or absence of secondary impetigo, the sensitivity of this limited examination was greater than 90 percent.<\/p>\n
“Our study adds valuable data to the development of a simplified diagnostic process for scabies that may be applied to guide decisions about future public health interventions,” the authors write.<\/p>\n