Back داء طفيلي وهامي Arabic Dermatozoenwahn German Παραληρηματική παρασίτωση Greek Delirio de parasitosis Spanish Syndrome d'Ekbom French מחשבת שווא על טפילים HE Téveszmés parazitózis Hungarian Parassitosi delirante Italian 寄生虫妄想 Japanese 망상성 기생충 감염 Korean
| Delusional parasitosis | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Ekbom's syndrome[1] |
| Specialty | Psychiatry, dermatology |
Delusional parasitosis (DP) or delusional infestation[2] is a mental disorder in which individuals have a persistent delusion that they are infested with living or nonliving agents, such as parasites, insects, or bacteria, when no such infestation is present.[3] Individuals may present with dermatologic symptoms, such as excoriation or formication (a sensation resembling insects crawling on or under the skin) associated with tactile hallucinations, or, in the case of Morgellons disease, a subtype of delusional parasitosis, with wounds from which they believe harmful fibers or parasites are emerging.[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, but is thought to be related to dysfunctional dopamine transmission in the brain in ways akin to other psychotic disorders.[2] Delusional parasitosis is diagnosed when the delusion is the only symptom of psychosis and the delusion—which must not be explained by another medical condition—has lasted a month or longer. Few individuals with the condition willingly accept treatment because they do not recognize the illness as a delusion.[4] Antipsychotic medications are associated with symptom remission,[5] and cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants can be used to help alleviate symptoms.[1][6]
The condition is rare, and is observed twice as often in women as men.[1] The average age of individuals presenting with the disorder is 57.[7] An alternative name, Ekbom's syndrome, honors the neurologist Karl-Axel Ekbom, who published seminal accounts of the disease in 1937 and 1938.[1]
- ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference
Moriarty2019was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Mendelsohn A, Sato T, Subedi A, Wurcel AG (July 2024). "State-of-the-Art Review: Evaluation and Management of Delusional Infestation". Clin Infect Dis. doi:10.1093/cid/ciae250. PMID 39039925.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Reich2019was invoked but never defined (see the help page).