Abstract
IntroductionDelusional parasitosis/infestation or Ekbom syndrome is an uncommon psychotic disorder characterized by a false belief that there is a parasitic infestation of the skin - the delusion that insects are crawling underneath the skin.ObjectivesThis work aims to summarize and evaluate the currently available evidence regarding Delusional parasitosis, and for this purpose, we will illustrate a case report of a patient admitted in the emergency room.MethodsThe authors have conducted online research in PubMed with the words “Delusional parasitosis” “delusional infestation”, “Ekbom syndrome”, from the outcome, the articles considered to be relevant were collected and analyzed.ResultsDelusional parasitosis can be classified into primary delusional parasitosis without other psychiatric or organic disorders present, secondary – functional (secondary to several mental disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, dementia, anxiety, and phobia), and organic forms (associated with hypothyroidism, anaemia, vitamin B12 deficiency, hepatitis, diabetes, infections (e.g., HIV, syphilis), and cocaine abuse. It is most commonly seen in middle-aged women. The patients became frequently socially isolated, prone to the development of depression symptoms.ConclusionsThis syndrome often presents a high level of psychosocial morbidity. Patients often seek dermatologists help in the first place, although there is no medical evidence. Psychiatrists play a major role in the diagnosis and treatment of these patients. Psychopharmacological therapy is quite challenging because of the patient’s belief that they have a parasitic infestation and not a psychiatric condition.
Highlights
Follie a deux is a rare syndrome characterized by the transference of delusions from a primary subject to a secondary one
We report three clinical cases who were hospitalized in the department of Psychiatry “A” at the Hedi Chaker university hospital in Sfax, Tunisia, because of non-judicial proceedings for dementia during the year of 2019
Delusional parasitosis/infestation or Ekbom syndrome is an uncommon psychotic disorder characterized by a false belief that there is a parasitic infestation of the skin - the delusion that insects are crawling underneath the skin
Summary
People with mental disorder can share negative stereotypes, related to mental disorders. This might cause selfstigmatization, which is negatively related to quality of life and compliance with treatment This self-stigmatization can be non-conscious or implicit, which might complicate it detection and further therapy. Conclusions: Self-transcendence values – values related to the wellbeing of others, which include tolerance, altruism and protection for the welfare of all people and for nature – are negatively related to implicit or non-conscious self-stigmatization. This finding, marginally significant, is in line with previous studies. Previous studies showed that self-transcendence values are negatively associated with explicit or conscious self-stigmatization (Lannin et al, 2020).
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