Crotamiton is a drug that is used both as a scabicidal (for treating scabies) and as a general antipruritic (anti-itching drug). It is a prescription, lotion-based medicine that is applied to the whole body to get rid of the scabies parasite that burrows under the skin and causes itching. Use
For treating scabies, crotamiton should be applied to the whole body rather than a localized area. It is applied two or three times, with a 24-hour delay between applications, and the patient is asked to take a shower no sooner than after 48 hours. For children under 3 years, it is applied once daily. It can also be used to treat itching stemming from other causes, e.g. insect bites, in which case it is applied to the itching areas only, and repeated if necessary after 4 to 8 hours. Use near the eyes, or breaks in the skin, should be avoided. Pharmacology
Crotamiton is toxic to the scabies mite. It probably acts as a general antipruritic by inhibition of TRPV4, a sensory ion channel that is expressed in the skin and primary sensory neurons. Pharmacokinetics
After topical application, crotamiton is absorbed systemically. It has an elimination half-life of 30.9 hours and 4.8-8.8% is excreted in the urine. Side effects
The most common side effect of crotamiton is skin irritation. Trade name
Crotamiton is marketed under the trade names Eurax, which is manufactured by Ranbaxy Laboratories in the United States, and GlaxoSmithKline in the United Kingdom, and Euracin, which is manufactured by Green Cross in South Korea.
Signs and symptoms
Pain on the outer part of the elbow (lateral epicondyle)
Point tenderness over the lateral epicondyle—a prominent part of the bone on the outside of the elbow
Pain with resisted wrist extension or passive wrist flexionSymptoms associated with tennis elbow include, but are not limited to, pain from the outside of the elbow to the forearm and wrist and pain during extension of wrist. Terminology
The term "tennis elbow" is widely used (although informal), but the condition should be understood as not limited to tennis players. Historically, the medical term "lateral epicondylitis" was most commonly used for the condition, but "itis" implies inflammation and the condition is not inflammatory.Since histological findings reveal noninflammatory tissue, the terms “lateral elbow tendinopathy" and "tendinosis” are suggested. In 2019, a group of international experts suggested that "lateral elbow tendinopathy" was the most appropriate terminology. But a disease of an attachment point (or enthesia) is most accurately referred to as an "enthesopathy." Causes
Enthesopathy of the extensor carpi radialis brevis origin is idiopathic, meaning that it has no known cause.Tennis players generally believe tennis elbow is caused by the repetitive nature of hitting thousands of tennis balls, which leads to tiny tears in the forearm tendon attachment at the elbow. Traditionally, people have speculated that tennis elbow is a type of repetitive strain injury resulting from tendon overuse and failed healing of the tendon, but there is no evidence of injury or repair on histopathology, and misinterpretation of painful activities as a source of damage is common.