Unusual features of scabies complicating human T-lymphotropic virus type III infection

Four cases of "exaggerated scabies" are described in patients who were immunodeficient secondary to human T-lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) infection. As in classical scabies, these patients had a pruritic dermatitis but lacked the usual distribution of the eruption. The rash was initially misdiagnosed in all four patients. Scabies should be considered in pruritic dermatitis in patients at risk for HTLV-III infection.