Pre-control relationship of onchocercal skin disease with onchocercal infection in Guinea Savanna, Northern Nigeria.

Background: Onchocerca volvulus infection can result in blindness, itching and skin lesions. Previous research concentrated on blindness.

Methods: A clinical classification system of the cutaneous changes in onchocerciasis was used for the first time in this study within the context of an early ivermectin drug trial in the savanna region of Kaduna State, northern Nigeria.