title: Comparison of ivermectin and benzyl benzoate lotion for scabies in Nigerian patients.
abstract: Few studies have compared ivermectin directly with topical agents in developing countries. We compared the effectiveness of oral ivermectin (200 microg/kg) with topical 25% benzyl benzoate and monosulfiram soap in 210 subjects of age 5 to 65 years with scabies. Subjects with persistent lesions after 2 weeks received a second course of treatment. All lesions had resolved after 2 weeks in 77 of 98 (79%) subjects treated with ivermectin and in 60 of 102 (59%) subjects treated topically (P = 0.003). The improvement in severity score was greater in the ivermectin group than in the topical treatment group (P < 0.001). The overall cure rate after 4 weeks was 95% in the ivermectin group and 86% in the topical treatment group (P = 0.04). Compared with topical benzyl benzoate and monosulfiram in the treatment of scabies, ivermectin was at least as effective and led to more rapid improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Halima M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Sule
authors.forename: Tom D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Thacher
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000287:Administration, Topical; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001565:Benzoates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004221:Disulfiram / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012520:Sarcoptes scabiei / Q000254:growth & development*; D012532:Scabies / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D001565:Benzoates; D007306:Insecticides; C009822:monosulfiram; D007559:Ivermectin; C006723:benzyl benzoate; D004221:Disulfiram