Objectives. To explore factors underlying the onset of delusional parasitosis; a condition in which an individual has a fixed, false belief that he/she is infested with insects. Case Description. MJ is a 57-year-old female who presents with symptoms of fatigue and AD/HD. Upon treatment with extended release mixed amphetamine salts, the patient displayed symptoms of delusional parasitosis. After...

BACKGROUND Delusions of parasitosis (DP) is a rare psychiatric disorder in which the patient has a firm belief that she or he is infected by parasites. Although it is a psychiatric disorder, these patients often present to an emergency physician because they are convinced that they have a severe skin problem. TREATMENT Patients with DP often reject psychiatric referral. The diagnosis of DP ca...

A patient with leprosy along with delusional parasitosis is describeeLNeuritic manifestations of leprosy appear to have a triggering effect in the development of delusions.

The most common monosymptomatic hypochondriacal psychosis encountered by a dermatologist is delusions of parasitosis. In this condition, patients have an "encapsulated" fixed, false belief that they are infested with parasites or have foreign objects extruding from their skin. The patient will often experience feelings of biting, crawling and stinging related to the delusion. Most patients do n...

Patients who are falsely convinced that a parasite has invaded their body are extremely difficult to treat. They are at once desperate for help and disdainful of efforts to help them. They insist that anti-infective medication be prescribed, but they are dubious that it will be effective. These patients despair of finding a credulous physician, and they continue to seek different therapies to c...