The condition leads to social isolation and affects employment. Cure may be achieved with antipsychotics or by treating underlying psychiatric conditions. Epidemiology
While a rare disorder, delusional parasitosis is the most common of the hypochondriacal psychoses, and more common than other types of delusions such as those associated with body odor or halitosis. It may be undetected because those who have it do not see a psychiatrist because they dont recognize the condition as a delusion. A population-based study in Olmsted County, Minnesota found a prevalence of 27 per 100,000 person-years and an incidence of almost 2 cases per 100,000 person-years. The majority of dermatologists will see at least one person with DP during their career.It is observed twice as often in women than men. The highest incidence occurs in people in their 60s, but there is also a higher occurrence in people in their 30s, associated with substance use. It occurs most often in "socially isolated" women with an average age of 57.Since the early 2000s, a strong internet presence has led to increasing self-diagnosis of Morgellons. History
Karl-Axel Ekbom, a Swedish neurologist, first described delusional parasitosis as "pre-senile delusion of infestation" in 1937. The common name has changed many times since then. Ekbom originally used the German word dermatozoenwahn, but other countries used the term Ekboms syndrome. That term fell out of favor because it also referred to restless legs syndrome. Other names that referenced "phobia" were rejected because anxiety disorder was not typical of the symptoms.
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).