Exploring Fourier-Transform Infrared Microscopy for Scabies Mite Detection in Human Tissue Sections: A Preliminary Technical Feasibility Study

Abstract

Scabies, caused by Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis, remains difficult to diagnose in histological routine when mite fragments are sparse or degraded. We explored whether Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) microscopy can detect chitin-associated spectral signatures of scabies mites in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) human skin sections and distinguish them from surrounding host tissue. FFPE sections from six patients with histologically confirmed crusted scabies were analysed by FTIR imaging, univariate mapping of selected bands, and multivariate image analysis within the 1000–1200 cm−1 carbohydrate region. Spectra from mite exoskeleton, stratum corneum, and dermis were compared, and absorbance at 1072 cm−1 was quantified across all samples. Mite regions showed consistently higher 1072 cm−1 absorbance than adjacent epidermal and dermal compartments, and unsupervised clustering reproducibly delineated mite-associated domains that co-localised with structures identified on haematoxylin-and-eosin-stained sections. Within this small, preliminary proof-of-concept cohort and in the absence of healthy or disease controls, the data do not allow estimation of clinical diagnostic performance at the patient level, but demonstrate the technical feasibility and analytical robustness of FTIR microscopy for intra-lesional detection of chitin-rich parasite structures in scabies lesions and provide a framework for future comparative studies in larger, prospectively collected cohorts.