A prospective cohort of patients with common scabies treated with 10% benzyl benzoate emulsion as monotherapy: EPIGALE study.

BACKGROUND

In addition to general measures, pharmacological treatment is the basis of the management of scabies. No recent data in real-life are available on the efficacy and safety of 10% benzyl benzoate emulsion for skin application administered as monotherapy.

METHOD: This prospective, multicenter, French observational study comprised a registry and a prospective cohort with a follow-up at 28 days and a telephone call at week 12. To participate in the registry, patients had to be over 1 month old, ambulatory, presenting common, nonhyperkeratotic, untreated scabies. To be included in the cohort, patients had to be included in the registry and treated with two applications of 10% benzyl benzoate emulsion 8 days apart. The primary endpoint was cure at day 28.

RESULTS

Of the 186 patients included in the registry, 116 were included in the cohort. Fourteen patients were included in the cohort without being included in the registry, which led to a total of 130 patients in the cohort. At day 28, 119/130 (91.5%; 95% CI 85.4-95.6%) were clinically cured. The cure was confirmed by dermoscopy in 44/47 patients (93%). Among the 130 patients, the cure rate was 82% at week 12. Of the 119 patients cured at day 28, the rate of cure at week 12 was 89.9%.

CONCLUSION

In real life, two applications of 10% benzyl benzoate emulsion 8 days apart provides high cure rates in patients with common scabies.