Dermatitis Artefacta

Abstract

Self‐inflicted dermatoses mainly refer to psychiatric disturbances such as psychoses, mental retardation, and personality disorders. Diagnostic clues are found in the nature and the evolution of the lesions as well as in the ambivalent combination of dependency on doctors and hostility toward them revealed in the patient's medical history. Management of dermatitis artefacta patients means dealing with the complex emotional issue of a basic antagonism in the dermatologist‐patient relationship. Both the dermatologist and the dermatologic nursing staff should show an understanding and nonaggressive attitude.

Monosymptomatic hypochondriacal psychosis presenting with recurrent oral mucosal ulcers and multiple skin lesions responding to olanzapine treatment

“…Self‐inflicted dermatoses are associated with various primary psychiatric disturbances. In these situations, there is no real skin disease; the skin simply becomes the target of the patient's psychiatric disorder 1–3 …”

“…Neurotic excoriation, dermatitis artefacta, and delusion of parasitosis are self‐inflicted dermatoses which can occur in various primary psychiatric disturbances such as psychoses, personality disorders, Munchausen's syndrome and malingering. Although there is no real skin disease in such cases, the skin becomes the primary concern of the patient as part of the psychiatric disorder 1–4 …”

Di̇şeti̇ Yaralanmasi İle Bi̇rli̇kte Görülen Dermati̇ti̇s Artefecta: Bi̇r Olgu Sunumu

“…Treatment may be challenging and frequently requires the combined efforts of a dentist, a dermatologist, and a psychiatrist. 3,12,13,18,19 And it is so considerable for the clinician to obtain a successful relationship among physician, patient and family. A mouth protective device can be planned to prevent the self-inflict of the patient with mental retardation and psychological problems [20][21][22] …”

Dermatitis artefacta presenting as a basal cell carcinoma---an important clinical sign missed

“…This diversity makes it particularly difficult to diagnose dermatitis artefacta 5. Histopathological diagnosis consists of features of acute inflammation with increased polymorphonuclear leucocytes with scattered erythrocytes.…”