Delusional Infestation

@article{Freudenmann2009DelusionalI,
  title={Delusional Infestation},
  author={Roland Wolfgang Freudenmann and Peter Lepping},
  journal={Clinical Microbiology Reviews},
  year={2009},
  volume={22},
  pages={690 - 732}
}
SUMMARY This papers aims at familiarizing psychiatric and nonpsychiatric readers with delusional infestation (DI), also known as delusional parasitosis. It is characterized by the fixed belief of being infested with pathogens against all medical evidence. DI is no single disorder but can occur as a delusional disorder of the somatic type (primary DI) or secondary to numerous other conditions. A set of minimal diagnostic criteria and a classification are provided. Patients with DI pose a truly… 
View on ASM
europepmc.org
75 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
7
Background Citations
30
Methods Citations
2
Results Citations
2

75 Citations

Delusional Infestation (Delusional Parasitosis)
Delusional infestation is typically comorbid with other psychiatric diagnoses: review of 54 patients receiving psychiatric evaluation at Mayo Clinic.
Delusional infestation managed in a combined tropical medicine and psychiatry clinic
TLDR
The first few years of a unique combined clinic run with experts in infectious diseases/tropical medicine and psychiatric management of delusional disorder are reported, finding combined clinics to treat DI are effective in improving patient outcome.
Pitfalls and Pearls in Delusional Parasitosis
TLDR
The appropriate steps for initial evaluation of patients with suspected delusional parasitosis, differential diagnoses, and differential diagnoses are reviewed to increase awareness for prudent treatment strategies.
Association Between Delusions of Infestation and Prescribed Narcotic and Stimulant Use
TLDR
Findings from this study indicated an association between the diagnosis of DOI and the prescribing of narcotics and stimulants, even when sex and age were taken into account.
Delusional infestation versus Morgellons disease.
Adult Infectious Diseases Notes Delusional Infestation
TLDR
The diagnosis and management of patients with delusional infestation is reviewed, with a focus on patients with a firmly fixed false belief that they have an infection.
Are dermatologists who treat patients with delusional infestation at risk of major complaints and being stalked?
TLDR
Patients with delusional infestation (DI) usually reject referral to psychiatrists but will avidly seek help from dermatologists, especially those with body dysmorphic disorder or other underlying psychopathology.
An evaluation of intensity of delusional belief in patients with delusional infestation pre- and post-treatment in a specialist psychodermatology center
TLDR
This is the first study to objectively demonstrate that delusional belief in patients with DI is not a binary phenomenon and to demonstrate an efficacious response to a combined multidisciplinary psychodermatological approach.
Delusional Infestation: Perspectives from Scottish Dermatologists and a 10-year Case Series from a Single Centre.
TLDR
It is concluded that good outcomes can be achieved in some patients with DI without psychiatric input and without psychoactive treatment.
...
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 353 REFERENCES
Delusions of parasitosis. A dermatologist's guide to diagnosis and treatment.
  • J. Koo, C. S. Lee
  • Medicine, Psychology
    American journal of clinical dermatology
  • 2001
TLDR
Atypical antipsychotics such as risperidone with a much safer adverse effect profile may prove to be effective for the treatment of delusions of parasitosis in the future.
A clinical paradigm of delusions of parasitosis.
Delusions of parasitosis: a review.
  • R. Wykoff
  • Medicine, Psychology
    Reviews of infectious diseases
  • 1987
TLDR
Patients who are erroneously convinced that they harbor dermatologic parasites present a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the practitioner; physicians must be familiar with the patterns of presentation usually seen in patients with delusions of parasitosis and confident that other psychiatric and/or medical conditions that could be causing the symptoms have been ruled out.
Delusional parasitosis presenting as folie à trois: successful treatment with risperidone
TLDR
Risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic that acts on serotonergic 5-HT2 and dopaminergic D2 receptors, has a much better safety profile than pimozide and is successful use in the treatment of a patient with DP and the subsequent resolution of symptoms of her husband and son who shared her delusions as folie à trois.
Delusions of parasitosis. A psychiatric disorder to be treated by dermatologists? An analysis of 33 patients
TLDR
Pimozide (Orap) was prescribed for 24 patients, but only 18 patients took it; five had full remission, four were less symptomatic, five were unchanged and four had died of unrelated causes.
[Psychiatric and parasitologic aspects of dermatozoon delusion].
TLDR
The results demonstrate the necessity of developing differentiated medical care programmes which take into account differences between patients who consulted the parasitologist initially and those who saw the dermatologist first and were subsequently treated by a psychiatrist.
Delusional parasitosis: a dermatologic, psychiatric, and pharmacologic approach.
[Entomophobia and delusional parasitosis].
TLDR
Second-generation antipsychotics such as amisulpride, risperidone or olanzapine in age-appropriate doses are being used today for the treatment of delusional parasitosis.
Delusions of ocular parasitosis.
Delusional Parasitosis Associated with Pemoline
TLDR
This work described three categories of delusional parasitosis: primary psychotic, secondary functional and secondary organic, and the secondary functional group includes patients with a toxic manifestation.
...
...