Increased spasticity in a chronic spinal cord injury patient after scabies infestation: a case report

Spasticity is a common feature of spinal cord injury (SCI). Spasticity exacerbation is commonly encountered with nociceptive and exteroceptive stimuli including bladder and bowel dysfunction, pressure sores, contracture, tight-fitting leg bags and clothing, and ingrown toenail. This report describes a patient with chronic SCI (T4 level) who complained of increasing spasticity of bilateral lower extremities for 5 weeks. He also had skin lesions on different parts of his body, accompanied by itching above the spinal cord lesion level. A clinical diagnosis of scabies was made and pharmacologic treatment was initiated. Following treatment, spasticity was significantly reduced and the skin rash with itching faded out. This report is the first of scabies skin infestation lesions triggering exacerbation of spasticity in an SCI patient.