Crusted scabies in an adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma patient successfully treated with oral ivermectin

We report an adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) patient whose crusted scabies was successfully treated with oral ivermectin. This 63-year-old man had previously been treated with oral prednisolone, sobuzoxane and etoposide for approximately 1 year. When he developed crusted scabies, he received two doses of oral ivermectin (200 mu g/kg) 10 days apart and the concomitant topical application of crotamiton containing 30% benzyl benzoate. This produced remarkable results, suggesting that oral ivermectin should be considered for the treatment of crusted scabies even in immunocompromised patients. While ivermectin may be useful for treating intractable scabies, attention must be paid to the possible appearance of ivermectin-resistant mites.