Treatment of postscabies prurigo with diflucortolone and chlorquinaldol in a group of African refugees

Abstract

Postscabies prurigo (PSP) is caused by a delayed hypersensitivity reaction to antigens of the mite. Treatment is based on potent topical or intralesional corticosteroids. We present the results of a study on the effectiveness of a topical combination of diflucortolone and chlorquinaldol. Eighteen African patients who had been previously affected by scabies and treated with permethrin were enrolled. The diagnosis of PSP was made by excluding other causes through microscopic examinations. All patients were treated with the drug combination by two applications daily for two weeks. The primary study objective was to evaluate the itch by a visual analogue scale (VAS) of 0–100. Fifteen patients (83.3%) could be evaluated. All reported improvements: from 86/100 at the start to 29/100 (−57/100) at the end of treatment. Chlorquinaldol, known as an antiseptic agent, demonstrated, according to results of this study, an important anti-itch action.