High-magnification dermoscopy for in vivo identification of larvae within eggs in active scabies infestation

Dear Editor, Dermoscopy improved the diagnostic accuracy of scabies, allowing the observation of the ‘delta-wing jet with contrail’ sign (a, magnification × 20). High-magnification dermoscopy (HMD) allows for in vivo assessment of Sarcoptes scabiei’s intestinal motility, indicating its vitality.2 Herein, we used HMD (Medicam 1000, FotoFinder, Bad Birnbach, Germany), to reveal details of head, extremities and intestine of the mite (b, magnification × 300) and larvae within eggs (b & c, magnification × 300–400) as signs of active infestation, invisible at lower magnifications, substantially obviating the need for mineral oil preparation. Due to the physical characteristics of the probe, flat/convex surfaces are better suited to HMD.