Ekbom Syndrome: A Delusional Condition of “Bugs in the Skin”

Hinkle, Nancy C.

doi:10.1007/s11920-011-0188-0

Cited by 44 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The role of postsynaptic-D2 receptors (in mediating the anti-psychotics' effect) and the role of fronto-striato-thalamo-parietal brain circuits inmediating Delusional Infestation(DI), which is in the same spectrum asDP, was confirmed. 2,6,[11][12][13][14][15][16] …”

Section: 12mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Attempts to extract the bugs produce extensive skin excoriations, which can also present with bruising, traumaticalopecia, contact dermatitis and scarring. 3,6,8 To relieve symptoms, the patient uses: Scissors, files, needles, penknives and tweezers, and the most disturbed patients use surgical instruments, chemicals, corrosives and pesticides. Old self-mutilated lesions appear: Lichenified, excoriated, ecthymatous or crusted.…”

Section: Clinical Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Old self-mutilated lesions appear: Lichenified, excoriated, ecthymatous or crusted. 3,6,8 Patients usually provide a small container(matchbox, pill container or a sealed plastic bag), classically known as a "matchbox sign", or better called a "specimen sign", enclosing the assumed/imaginedorganisms. On microscopy, samples appear to be hair, skin, fabric, dust, dirt, serum, ants and fleas,but devoid of real pathogenic organisms.…”

Section: Clinical Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Similarly, there are numerous conditions that may coexist with DP. 3,4,6,11,[18][19][20] Associated diseases DP can occur in disease, affecting the non-dominant hemisphere, as in Cerebro-Vascular Accidents (CVA). Structural brain abnormalities that have been reported include subcortical vascular encephalopathy and right hemisphere stroke in the temporo-parietal cortex.…”

Section: Shared Delusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ekbom syndrome, an evidence based review of literature

Lutfi¹

2016

Asian J Med Sci

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Delusional Parasitosis (DP) is a Psychocutaneous disorder that was 1st described in the late 17th century in France. The etiology is neuro-chemical. The classic “matchbox” and “specimen” signs are characteristic. Management is via a multidisciplinary approach. This review paper is based on detailed systematic review of literature via an up-to-date evidence based approach. This paper reviews: Historical facts, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, subtypes, associated diseases, psychosocial impact, economic considerations and management. An exhaustive search strategy was utilized across five medical literature databases led by 62 pre-specified keywords, followed by database-specific filters’ application to scrutinize the hierarchy of literature, from systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials to medical papers with weak evidence. Forty references were utilized to extract the most relevant data. This review article is level II-3 (level of evidence); it will enable the researcher to obtain a perspective of DP, upon which an original research can be developed.Asian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol. 7(3) 2016 1-8

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Section: 12mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Clinical Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Clinical Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Shared Delusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ekbom syndrome, an evidence based review of literature

Lutfi¹

2016

Asian J Med Sci

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“…Es habitual que describan al parásito, aunque sea invisible, comentan que puede cambiar de color o que tiene una serie de características especiales y que no se ven en insectos "normales" (como que hablen, por ejemplo). Suelen relatar una mayor actividad nocturna, lo que se atribuye a problemas de insomnio (Hinkle, 2011). Es frecuente que sepan su ciclo vital y cómo cambian a medida que evolucionan.…”

Section: Estudios Dermatológicosunclassified

Síndrome de Ekbom en consumidor de metilfenidato intravenoso

Gómez¹,

Vicente-Alba

Ramos-Caneda

et al. 2012

Adicciones

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Ekbom syndrome is a mental disorder in which the patient has the monothematic delusion of being infected by parasites. It is an uncommon condition that was initially studied by dermatologists. The exactly etiology is unknown to date, though several causes have been proposed, including metabolic diseases (among other physical causes), psychiatric disorders, drugs, etc. Research has now found a relationship between drug abuse and psychotic symptoms, which appear to be due to altered levels of dopamine at the receptor level. In this article we review the clinical features of the condition and present the case report of an intravenous methylphenidate abuser who developed a delusion of parasitosis.Key words: Ekbom, parasitosis, infestation, delusion, methylphenidate.El Síndrome de Ekbom es un trastorno mental en que el paciente tiene la convicción delirante monotemática de estar infectado por parásitos. Se trata de un cuadro poco frecuente, que inicialmente fue estudiado por dermatólogos. No se conoce exactamente la etiopatiogenia hasta el momento, si bien se han objetivado diversas causas: enfermedades metabólicas (entre otras causas físicas), cuadros psiquiátricos, fármacos, etc. En la actualidad, se ha encontrado relación entre el consumo de tóxicos y cuadros psicóticos, que parecen debidos a la alteración de la Dopamina a nivel de sus receptores. En este artículo realizamos una revisión del cuadro clínico y presentamos el caso clínico de un paciente consumidor de metilfenidato intravenoso que desarrolla un delirio de infestación.Palabras clave: ekbom, parasitosis, infestación, delirio, metilfenidato.

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A comprehensive entomological survey and evaluation of the efficacy of different therapies on a suspected delusional parasitosis case

et al. 2020

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Objective Delusional parasitosis (DP) is one type of psychotic disorders. It is a multifactorial disorder with different etiologies. Given that very little attention is paid to entomological survey in these cases, a comprehensive study was designed and performed for the first time in Iran on a suspected DP case and its home from Shiraz during 2018–2019. Methods In this study, entomological survey, dermatological studies, and psychological and psychiatric interventions were done respectively on a 40‐year‐old man who was referred to as a suspected case of DP. Results No medical importance arthropods were collected from the patient's home. He was not infected with lice and other ectoparasites. Skin samples were negative for scabies, but he was infected with Demodex folliculorum at low level. Psychiatric studies showed that he was a secondary DP case with depression. No effect and partial remission were reported after treatment with risperidone (2–6 mg/d) and olanzapine (5 mg/d), respectively. Therapeutic effects of hypnotism were also not satisfactory. Conclusions In Iran, the most important challenges these patients faced with are as follows: the absence of a specific referral center, patients resort to self‐treatment or traditional methods, and lack of a certain duration and dosage of antipsychotic for these cases. Comprehensive clinical trials should be done on this rare syndrome at the national level for better understanding the epidemiological profile of DP and finding the best method of treatment for Persian community.

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Ekbom Syndrome: A Delusional Condition of “Bugs in the Skin”

Cited by 44 publications

References 41 publications

Ekbom syndrome, an evidence based review of literature

Ekbom syndrome, an evidence based review of literature

Síndrome de Ekbom en consumidor de metilfenidato intravenoso

A comprehensive entomological survey and evaluation of the efficacy of different therapies on a suspected delusional parasitosis case

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