General Hospital Psychiatry
Volume 32, Issue 2 , Pages 210-212 , March 2010

Iatrogenic delusional parasitosis: a case of physician–patient folie a deux

  • Jessica E. Bury, B.S.

      Affiliations

    • Mayo Medical School, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, USA
    • ,
  • J. Michael Bostwick, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +1 507 284 3789.

Received 7 September 2009 ,Accepted 30 September 2009.

References 

  1. Trabert W. 100 years of delusional parasitosis. Meta-analysis of 1,223 case reports. Psychopathology. 1995;28:238–246
  2. Lepping P, Russell I, Freudenmann RW. Antipsychotic treatment of primary delusional parasitosis: systematic review. Br J Psychiatry. 2007;191:198–205
  3. Johnson GC, Anton RF. Delusions of parasitosis: differential diagnosis and treatment. South Med J. 1985;78:914–918
  4. Driscoll MS, Rothe MJ, Grant-Kels JM, Hale MS. Delusional parasitosis: a dermatologic, psychiatric, and pharmacologic approach. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1993;29:1023–1033
  5. Wilson JW. Delusion of parasitosis (acarophobia). AMA Arch Derm Syphilol. 1952;66:577–585
  6. Wilson JW, Miller HE. Delusion of parasitosis (acarophobia). Arch Derm Syphilol. 1946;54:39–56
  7. Huber M, Karner M, Kirchler E, Lepping P, Freudenmann RW. Striatal lesions in delusional parasitosis revealed by magnetic resonance imaging. Prog Neuro-Psychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2008;32:1967–1971
  8. Lee CS. Delusions of parasitosis. Dermatol Ther. 2008;21:2–7
  9. Zomer SF, DeWit RFE, Van Bronswijk JEHM, Nabarro G, Van Vloten WA. Delusions of parasitosis: a psychiatric disorder to be treated by dermatologists? An analysis of 33 patients. Br J Dermatol. 1998;138:1030–1032
  10. Shaw RJ, Dayal S, Good J, Bruckner AL, Joshi SV. Psychiatric medications for the treatment of pruritus. Psychosom Med. 2007;69:970–978
  11. Lee A. Skin manifestations of systemic disease. Aust Fam Physician. 2009;38:498–505
  12. Koo J, Lebwohl A. Psycho dermatology: the mind and skin connection. Am Fam Physician. 2001;64:1873–1978
  13. Dunn J, Murphy MB, Fox KM. Diffuse pruritic lesions in a 37-year-old man after sleeping in an abandoned building. Am J Psychiatry. 2007;164:1166–1172
  14. Greaves MW. Itch in systemic disease: therapeutic options. Dermatol Ther. 2005;18:323–327
  15. Ward JR, Bernhard JD. Willan's itch and other causes of pruritus in the elderly. Int J Dermatol. 2005;44:267–273
  16. Lepping P, Freudenmann RW. Delusional parasitosis: a new pathway for diagnosis and treatment. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2007;33:113–117
  17. Trabert W. Shared psychotic disorder in delusional parasitosis. Psychopathology. 1999;32:30–34
  18. Suganthan JS, Rajkumar AP, Jagannath C, Pulimood SA, Jacob KS. Delusional parasitosis over dermatological morbidity: diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Trop Doct. 2009;39:49–50
  19. Bak R, Tumu P, Hui C, Kay D, Peng D. A review of delusions of parasitosis, part 1: presentation and diagnosis. Cutis. 2008;82:123–130

PII: S0163-8343(09)00187-X

doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2009.09.013

General Hospital Psychiatry
Volume 32, Issue 2 , Pages 210-212 , March 2010

Article Tools