Delusional parasitosis

Delusional parasitosis
Other namesEkbom's syndrome[1]
SpecialtyPsychiatry, dermatology

Delusional parasitosis (DP), also called delusional infestation,[2] is a mental health condition where a person falsely believes that their body is infested with living or nonliving agents. Common examples of such agents include parasites, insects, or bacteria. This is a delusion due to the belief persisting despite evidence that no infestation is present.[3][1] People with this condition may have skin symptoms such as the urge to pick at one's skin (excoriation) or a sensation resembling insects crawling on or under the skin (formication). Morgellons disease is a related constellation of symptoms. This self-diagnosed condition is considered a form of a type of delusional parasitosis. People with Morgellons falsely believe harmful fibers are coming out of their skin and causing wounds.[1][4]

Delusional parasitosis is classified as a delusional disorder in the fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The precise cause is unknown. It may be linked to problems with dopamine in the brain, similar to psychotic disorders.[2] Diagnosis requires the delusion to be the only sign of psychosis, not caused by another medical condition, and present for at least a month. A defining characteristic of delusions is that the false belief cannot be corrected.[5] As a result, most affected individuals believe their delusion is true and do not accept treatment.[2] Antipsychotic medications can help with symptom remission.[6] Cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants can also decrease symptoms.[1][7]

The condition is rare and affects women twice as often as men.[1] The average age of individuals affected by the disorder is 57.[8] Ekbom's syndrome is another name for the condition. This name honors the neurologist Karl-Axel Ekbom, who published accounts of the disease in 1937 and 1938.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference Moriarty2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Mendelsohn A, Sato T, Subedi A, Wurcel AG (July 2024). "State-of-the-Art Review: Evaluation and Management of Delusional Infestation". Clin Infect Dis. 79 (2): e1 – e10. doi:10.1093/cid/ciae250. PMID 39039925.
  3. ^ Waykar V, Wourms K, Tang M, Verghese J (22 October 2020). "Delusional infestation: an interface with psychiatry". BJPsych Advances. 27 (5): 343–348. doi:10.1192/bja.2020.69. ISSN 2056-4678.
  4. ^ Kemperman PM, Vulink NC, Smit C, Hovius JW, de Rie MA (July 2024). "Review of literature and clinical practice experience for the therapeutic management of Morgellons disease". J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 38 (7): 1300–1304. doi:10.1111/jdv.19831. PMID 38308572.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference UpToDate was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ McPhie ML, Kirchhof MG (March 2022). "A systematic review of antipsychotic agents for primary delusional infestation". J Dermatolog Treat. 33 (2): 709–721. doi:10.1080/09546634.2020.1795061. PMID 32658556.
  7. ^ Ahmed A, Affleck AG, Angus J, et al. (October 2022). "British Association of Dermatologists guidelines for the management of adults with delusional infestation 2022". Br J Dermatol. 187 (4): 472–480. doi:10.1111/bjd.21668. PMID 35582951.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Reich2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.