RT Book, Section
A1 Bales, Brian D.
A1 Hensel, Max
A2 Knoop, Kevin J.
A2 Stack, Lawrence B.
A2 Storrow, Alan B.
A2 Thurman, R. Jason
SR Print(0)
ID 1181053335
T1 Delusional Infestation
T2 The Atlas of Emergency Medicine, 5e
YR 2021
FD 2021
PB McGraw-Hill
PP New York, NY
SN 9781260134940
LK accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1181053335
RD 2024/04/20
AB Delusional  infestation  (delusional  parasitosis)  is  a  rare  disorder  in  which  individuals  have  the  delusion  that  they  are  infected  by  a  living  organism  such  as  worms,  mites,  bugs,  and  parasites.  Rational  reasoning  does  not  impact  the  delusion.  Delusional  infestation  is  more  common  in  patients  over  the  age  of  50  and  in  women.  Three  of  four  patients  have  a  concurrent  mental  health  illness,  including  depression,  anxiety,  and  drug  abuse.  Such  patients  often  present  with  excoriations  (Fig.  27.31)  and  frequently  complain  of  pruritis.  It  is  common  for  patients  suffering  from  this  disorder  to  present  with  specimens  to  support  their  argument  such  as  bags  of  stool  (Fig.  27.32)  or  specimens  including  string  or  scabs  that  they  have  picked  from  their  skin.