Scabies Diagnosis

Diagnosis of Scabies is often made by the customary appearance and the look of the rash and presence of burrows or tunnels, but because the symptoms of Scabies are similar to those of hives or eczema, the only definitive method of making a confirmed diagnosis is to take a scraping of skin to look at under a microscope. This sample of scraping can then be checked for mites, mite eggs, as well as fecal matter left by the mites.

However, a patient can still be infected with Scabies even if no mites, no mites eggs or no fecal material can be found. This is because it only takes as few as 10-15 mites to be present in the skin of a person to cause an infestation.

If the suspected burrows can not be found, the area being examined can be rubbed with ink or a topical solution of tetracycline. This will glow under a special type of light. If the person is infested with Scabies, a characteristic “S” or zigzag pattern made by the burrows will appear across the skin.

It seems that the actual detection of Scabies sites can be extremely difficult to find and further scrapings may have to be taken from various areas of the body. Often treatment may begin with a diagnosis made from the physical appearance only as no positive scrapings can be found.

An extreme case of Scabies also known as Norwegian Scabies is much easier to diagnose with a skin scraping as the crusty scraping will host extreme numbers of mites. This type of Scabies is most highly contagious and a colony can have millions of mites.

Because a positive diagnosis can be difficult to make and the red, itching area can resemble other types of conditions, it is extremely important if you have a rash with intense itching, make an appointment with your doctor so that a proper diagnosis can be made.