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Boeck's scabies

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A severe form of scabies with crusting, itching, scaling, and suppuration of the fingers, face, and scalp, as well as other parts of the body. Unlike regular scabies, it is not very pruritic. The severe itch that is usually reported with typical scabies may be reduced or absent in Norwegian scabies.
The main difference between Norwegian scabies and regular scabies is the number of mites present on an infected person. Persons with Norwegian scabies will have an immense number of mites – thousands to millions – compared to 10 to 15 in regular scabies. In consequence, the skin manifestations in Norwegian scabies are much more severe and can occur on almost any area of the body. The type of mite is the same, Sarcoptes scabiei.

Ferdinand von Hebra (1816-1880) reported a similar case in 1851, correctly attributed it to the scabies mite, and named the disease "scabies norvegica Boeckii."

Bibliography

  • C. W. Boeck:
    Om den spedalske sygdom. Elephantiasis graecorum.
    Norsk Magazin for Lægevidenskaben, Christiania (Oslo), 1842, 4: 1–73, 127-128.

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