Knowra Delusional parasitosis Delusional parasitosis Delusional parasitosis is a persistent false belief of infestation by parasites or other organisms despite a lack of supporting evidence. It can cause intense distress and repeated attempts to remove the perceived infestation.
Delusion : A firmly held belief that persists despite strong evidence against it and is not explained by a person's cultural context. The infestation belief is delusional when it remains fixed despite examination and evidence.
Psychosis : A state involving impaired reality testing, which may include delusions or hallucinations. The condition may occur within a broader psychotic disorder or as a specific delusional disorder.
Differential diagnosis : The process of distinguishing among conditions that can explain a person's signs and symptoms. Clinicians assess for actual infestation, skin disease, medication effects, and other psychiatric causes.
Self-inflicted dermatosis : A skin condition caused or worsened by a person's own scratching, picking, rubbing, or other actions. Repeated efforts to extract perceived organisms can produce substantial skin damage.
Ekbom syndrome : A historical eponym for the delusional belief of infestation, now generally called delusional parasitosis. The name persists in clinical and public usage despite ambiguity and changing diagnostic terminology.
Formication : A sensation of insects crawling on or beneath the skin without an external cause. Crawling sensations can be interpreted as evidence of the perceived infestation.
Delusional disorder : A psychiatric disorder characterized by one or more persistent delusions, without the broad pattern of impairment typical of schizophrenia. Delusional parasitosis is commonly classified within this diagnostic family when no other disorder explains it.
Dermatology : The branch of medicine concerned with the skin, hair, nails, and their diseases. Dermatologic examination can identify treatable skin conditions and document the absence of infestation.
Secondary infection : An infection that develops after another condition or injury disrupts normal tissue defenses. Open lesions caused by scratching or cutting can become infected.
Primary delusional parasitosis : Delusional parasitosis occurring without an identified underlying medical, psychiatric, or substance-related cause. Its mechanisms and best treatment remain difficult to establish because causes are not evident.
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