Scabies Masquerading as Dermatitis Herpetiformis

Scabies can be easily mistaken for dermatitis herpetiformis because the two conditions have features in common, namely, pruritic papules, vesicles, and crusted erosions in the sacral and gluteal regions. In five patients with scabies who were initially judged clinically to have dermatitis herpetiformis, histological examination was decisive in the eventual correct diagnosis. (JAMA233:53-54, 1975)