Delusional parasitosis (DP) is a mental disorder in which individuals have a persistent belief that they are infested with living or nonliving pathogens such as parasites, insects, or bugs, when no such infestation is present. They usually report tactile hallucinations known as formication, a sensation resembling insects crawling on or under the skin. Morgellons is considered to be a subtype of this condition, in which individuals have sores that they believe contain harmful fibers.Delusional parasitosis is classified as a delusional disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM5). The cause is unknown, but is thought to be related to excess dopamine in the brain. Delusional parasitosis is diagnosed when the delusion is the only symptom of psychosis and the delusion—that cannot be better explained by another 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. Antipsychotic medications offer a potential cure, while cognitive behavioral therapy and antidepressants can be used to help alleviate symptoms.The condition is rare, and is observed twice as often in women as men. The average age of people with the disorder is 57. An alternative name, Ekboms syndrome, refers to the neurologist Karl-Axel Ekbom, who published seminal accounts of the disease in 1937 and 1938. Classification
Delusional infestation is classified as a delusional disorder of the somatic subtype in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM5).
EANM guidelines, endorsed by the SNMMI, suggest a variety of regimes in clinical use, for both children and adults.Product labeling for diagnostic 131I iobenguane recommends giving potassium iodide one day before injection and continuing 5 to 7 days following. 131I iobenguane used for therapeutic purposes requires a different pre-medication duration, beginning 24–48 hours before iobenguane injection and continuing 10–15 days after injection. Clinical trials
Iobenguane I 131 for cancers
Iobenguane I 131, marketed under the trade name Azedra, has had a clinical trial as a treatment for malignant, recurrent or unresectable pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, and the FDA approved it on July 30, 2018. The drug is developed by Progenics Pharmaceuticals. References
External links
"Iobenguane". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. "Iobenguane I 131". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. "Iobenguane I 123". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. "iobenguane I 131". NCI Drug Dictionary. "Iobenguane I 131". National Cancer Institute. 15 August 2018.