CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 130Dermatological diseases and infestationsPoisoning and overdose treatmentsPesticide Exposure and Toxicity

Lindane toxicity: a comprehensive review of the medical literature.

Nolan, Katherine, Kamrath, Jacqueline, Levitt, Jacob·2012·Pediatric Dermatology
DOI 10.1111/j.1525-1470.2011.01519.x
Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

Lindane is an organochloride pesticide, first introduced as a scabicide for human use in the 1950s. Because of its low cost and efficacy, it quickly became a first-line treatment for scabies and head lice, but not long after its use became widespread, its safety was called into question, primarily regarding its neurotoxic effects. We intend to show through review of the literature and databases that lindane has been associated with numerous severe and fatal adverse reactions. This review will summarize 67 cases of adverse reactions and deaths associated with the medical use of lindane. Many of the most serious events and fatalities occurred in pediatric and geriatric populations. We concede that toxicity frequently arises from misuse, but labeled usage of lindane caused 43% of the serious adverse reactions of this review. Moreover, the numerous instances of lindane misuse elucidate the importance of clear labeling and instructions, especially with a product with a narrow therapeutic index. Therefore, this report attempts to elucidate the dangers of lindane as a medical treatment for scabies and head lice by providing a comprehensive review of all documented adverse drug reactions since its introduction.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1111/j.1525-1470.2011.01519.x

Cites

31 of 31 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Seizures have occurred when lindane was applied after a bath or used by patients who had extensive dermatitis.

    “Seizures have occurred when lindane was applied after a bath or used by patients who had extensive dermatitis.”

    From Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021 (2021) · cites this paper as [1413]

  • Lindane can cause toxicity.

    “Lindane is an alternative regimen because it can cause toxicity (1413); it should be used only if the patient cannot tolerate the recommended therapies or if these therapies have failed (1414–1416).”

    From Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021 (2021) · cites this paper as [1413]

  • Lindane resistance has been reported in some areas of the world, including parts of the United States.

    “Lindane resistance has been reported in some areas of the world, including parts of the United States (1413).”

    From Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021 (2021) · cites this paper as [1413]

  • Aplastic anemia after lindane use has been reported.

    “Aplastic anemia after lindane use also has been reported (1413).”

    From Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021 (2021) · cites this paper as [1413]

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Related

Authors
Nolan, K., Kamrath, J., & Levitt, J.
Affiliations
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (US)
Corresponding author
Nolan, Katherine
ORCID
Venue
Pediatric Dermatology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2011-10-13
Volume
29
Issue
2
Pages
141-146
ISSN
  • 0736-8046 (ISSN-L)
  • 1525-1470
DOI
10.1111/j.1525-1470.2011.01519.x
OpenAlex
W1549700459
Cited by
130
References
31
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 8
FWCI
1.08
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor (vor)
Locations
  • Pediatric Dermatology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Dermatological diseases and infestations
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Emergency Medicine › Poisoning and overdose treatments
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Pesticide Exposure and Toxicity
Keywords
lindane, scabies, head lice, neurotoxicity, adverse drug reactions, drug toxicity, pediatric patients, elderly patients, pesticide misuse, product labeling, scabicide
MeSH terms
Hexachlorocyclohexane, Female, Humans, Insecticides, Lice Infestations, Scabies, Acaricides

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review