Delusional parasitosis - a case report

Introduction. Cutaneous pathologies may reflect dermatological disorders as well as psychiatric ones. A knowledge of psychodermatological problems may improve the diagnosis and differentiation enabling introduction of psychopharmacological intervention. Delusional parasitosis is a condition in which a person has the strong false belief of being infested with parasites. Patients give detailed descriptions of the activity of offending parasites: crawling, biting, burrowing. In such cases antipsychotic therapy is necessary.

Objective. Presentation of a case of a 52-year-old woman suffering from delusional parasitosis.

Case report. The patient was referred to the consultant psychiatrist by a dermatologist with the diagnosis of psychosis. In the course of psychiatric observation the diagnosis of delusional parasitosis was established and therapy with antipsychotic drugs led to full remission. According to the contemporary International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria, delusional parasitosis is a disorder which belongs to delusional disorders.

Conclusions. In the diagnosis and treatment of psychodermatological disorders cooperation between the dermatologist and the psychiatrist is necessary.