Malingering of Scrotal Dermatitis

Dermatologists are often faced with psychological and psychiatric problems, including patients with self-inflicted dermatoses [Cotterill and Millard, 1998]. While in some patients the diagnosis of dermatitis artefacta is obvious, in other instances the patient may evade a correct diagnosis, often successfully deceiving many doctors for many years. In short, well-intentioned doctors find it difficult to accept that a patient may deliberately set out to deceive his/her medical advisors. In females dermatitis artefacta is best interpreted as unconscious cry for help, in males, however, the damage to the skin often occurs consciously with an object of malingering [Consoli, 1995; Lyell, 1979]. Some patients even simulate established skin diseases by physical manipulation of the skin (dermatological pathomimicry, Millard’s Syndrome) [Millard, 1984].