Creeping eruption - Treatment

Alternative Names

Cutaneous larvae migrans; Ancylostoma braziliense

Treatment:

Anti-parasitic drugs such as thiabendazole, albendazole, or ivermectin may be used to treat the infection.

Expectations (prognosis):

Creeping eruption may go away by itself over a period of weeks to months. Treatment helps the infection go away more quickly and is highly successful.

Complications:

Secondary bacterial skin infections caused by scratching
Spread of the infection through the bloodstream to the lungs or small intestine (rare)

Calling your health care provider:

Make an appointment with your health care provider if you or your child have skin sores that are snakelike, itchy, or moving from one area to another.

Hookworm - mouth of the organism

Hookworm - close-up of the organism

Hookworm - Ancyclostoma caninum

Cutaneous larva migrans

Strongyloidiasis, creeping eruption on the back

Reviewed last on: 12/7/2010
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Kazura JW. Nematode infections. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 378.

Nash TE. Visceral larvae migrans and other unusual helminth infections. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolan R, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Orlando, FL: Saunders Elsevier;2009:chap 291.

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