A Case Report of Morgellons Disease

Abstract

Background: Morgellons disease is a condition that falls within the same delusional complex of Ekbom Syndrome. Thomas Browne first described this psycho-cutaneous dermatosis in the 17th century, naming it “Morgellons disease”. It is characterized by delusional skin infestation with inanimate objects. To date, very little is known about Morgellons disease, and even less is known about its correlation with recreational substance abuse. Case Presentation: This is a rare case presentation of Morgellons disease of a 52 years old female from Hertfordshire-United Kingdom. She is an academic and a professorial researcher. Initially, the patient was wrongly diagnosed as a case of a dyshidrotic eczema. Afterwards, her lesions worsened and resulted in an impairment of social life and academic performance.Consequently, the patient consulted a psychiatrist who implemented a multidisciplinary approach. Comprehensive laboratory and radiological investigations, including MRI, confirmed the absence of any organic pathology, and the final diagnosis was settled to be an idiopathic case of Morgellons disease. Conclusions: This case represents a cutaneous pathology in relation to the delusional spectrum of Ekbom’s syndrome and Delusional Infestation. In this once in a life time encounter with a Morgellons disease patient, the classic “physician Odyssey” was prevented. The attentive multidisciplinary approach towards the patient was critical for the successful diagnosis and management. The patient was soon to be treated with Olanzapine, a 2nd generation antipsychotic. Within less than a month, the distressed patient showed a remarkable improvement.