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Using Dermasmooth And An Oral Antihistamine For Skin Rashes. Not Cured. Could It Be Scabies?

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Posted on Thu, 6 Dec 2012
Question: I am fostering a baby with a rash. She developed it 4 weeks after we got her. The 1st MD we saw at urgent care said it was an allergic reaction but mentioned that the only other possibility would be scabies. The rash cleared up with a bit of hydrocortisone on the bad areas, but came back a few days later. So, I took her to her primary MD. He said it was scabies. I asked for a referral to a dermatologist who took skin scrapings and said it looked more like eczema. The only thing that would make him think scabies is that it is on her foot and a small spot on her wrist.He prescribed dermasmooth and an oral antihistamine and the rash cleared up almost completely overnight. Used the dermasmooth the next day.But, the following day,I didn't use it because the rash was 95% gone. 36 hrs later it came back. Its done this twice. Could it be scabies? Nobody else in the home has a rash but it could be that we just haven't broken out yet since it takes 4-6 weeks to show symptoms. Would scabies come and go like that?
Also, she doesn't seem to be incredibly itchy and uncomfortable. I've been keeping her body covered so she can't scratch at her skin. She only tries to scratch when I take her clothes off but doesn't try to get at it through the clothes. And, she sleeps through the night for the most part.

*The dermatologist also prescribed eurax cream but we just used it for the first time today because the pharmacy didn't have it in stock.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Kruti (2 hours later)
Hello

Thanks for posting your query. I will be glad to be of assistance.
I would be happy to answer all your queries till you get a satisfactory response.

The criteria that would support the diagnosis of scabies are:-

1. History of itching at night.
2. In scabies there is itching in between the fingers, wrists, inner side of arms, thighs, legs, axillae, buttocks, genitals and around the umbilicus. This is known as the circle of hebra.
3. In young children there can be lesions on palms, soles and face.
4. History of itching in family members which can even manifest later.

In the case of your daughter, I would like to know all the areas where the rash is?

Scabies cannot come and go like this, but eczema can. It could be a possibility that it is eczema.

However, I would like to request you to take a photograph of the lesions and post them here so I can have a look and opine regarding them. You have a feature to upload the image by yourself at the right side of the query page, please utilize that so that I can answer your queries better.

Thanks.

I would be waiting for your response.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Mohammed Kappan
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Kruti (7 hours later)
Ok, I have uploaded 2 pictures of whats left of the rash after treating with dermasmooth last night. Everything else is cleared up, e xcept for what you see on one foot and one wrist.
You asked about the location of the rash: it has been on her chest, abdomen, calves, right foot, sole of foot ( one tiny dot), outer side of arms, small amount on knees and thighs, back of her neck,and she's had a few small dots on her back, and a few small dots on her bottom.
She has had NOTHING on or between her fingers or toes, on her palms, or on her elbows, or localized near her naval or genital area.
And, the dermatologist commented that the bumps on her abdomen looked too yellow to be scabies.
The only thing on her body that even resembled a XXXXXXX burrow" is the XXXXXXX you see in the picture on the outside of her foot.
The rash on her arms resembled what u see on her foot but the rash on her chest and abdomen, it looked nothing like that. On her chest and abdomen, it just looked like little red bumps and while there were quite a few, they were not particularly close to one another. She briefly had a rash on her calves as well, but the bumps were really small and close together, kind of pink and more closely resembled what I would recognize as eczema. They went away with hydrocortisone and moisturizer and have not come back.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Kruti (11 hours later)
Hello

Thanks for the photographs.

The lesions in the photographs do not resemble scabies and since the other lesions have resolved it would be difficult to comment on them.

If it were scabies it wouldn't resolve with hydro cortisone cream for sure.

So it’s most likely not scabies.

It could have been eczema.

You can continue to apply hydrocortisone cream on it for ten days.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E
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Dr. Kruti

Dermatologist

Practicing since :2003

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Using Dermasmooth And An Oral Antihistamine For Skin Rashes. Not Cured. Could It Be Scabies?

Hello

Thanks for posting your query. I will be glad to be of assistance.
I would be happy to answer all your queries till you get a satisfactory response.

The criteria that would support the diagnosis of scabies are:-

1. History of itching at night.
2. In scabies there is itching in between the fingers, wrists, inner side of arms, thighs, legs, axillae, buttocks, genitals and around the umbilicus. This is known as the circle of hebra.
3. In young children there can be lesions on palms, soles and face.
4. History of itching in family members which can even manifest later.

In the case of your daughter, I would like to know all the areas where the rash is?

Scabies cannot come and go like this, but eczema can. It could be a possibility that it is eczema.

However, I would like to request you to take a photograph of the lesions and post them here so I can have a look and opine regarding them. You have a feature to upload the image by yourself at the right side of the query page, please utilize that so that I can answer your queries better.

Thanks.

I would be waiting for your response.

Regards