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Since the late 1940s, lindane lotion has been the traditional therapy for human scabies infestation. Because lindane can be neurotoxic if ingested or overused topically, physicians welcomed the availability of 5 percent permethrin cream in the late 1980s. Five percent permethrin cream and the 1 percent cream rinse used for head lice are considered safe, but there are little published data about toxicity from percutaneous absorption.
Researchers measured percutaneous absorption of 5 percent permethrin cream and 1 percent lindane lotion in cadaveric human skin and live guinea pig skin. There was no difference in absorption of the two preparations through guinea pig skin, but human skin was 20 times more permeable to lindane than to permethrin.…