DelusionalparasitosisFromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopediaJumptonavigationJumptosearchMedicalconditionDelusionalparasitosisOthernamesDelusionalinfestationorEkbom'ssyndrome[1]SpecialtyPsychiatry,dermatologyDelusionalparasitosis(DP)isamentaldisorderinwhichindividualshaveapersistentbeliefthattheyareinfestedwithlivingornonlivingpathogenssuchasparasites,insects,orbugs,whennosuchinfestationispresent.Theyusuallyreporttactilehallucinationsknownasformication,asensationresemblinginsectscrawlingonorundertheskin.Morgellonsisconsideredtobeaself-diagnosedsubtypeofthiscondition,inwhichindividualshavesoresthattheybelievecontainharmfulfibers.[1]DelusionalparasitosisisclassifiedasadelusionaldisorderintheDiagnosticandStatisticalManualofMentalDisorders(DSM5).Thecauseisunknown,butisthoughttoberelatedtoexcessdopamineinthebrain.Delusionalparasitosisisdiagnosedwhenthedelusionistheonlysymptomofpsychosisandthedelusion—thatcannotbebetterexplainedbyanothercondition—haslastedamonthorlonger.Fewindividualswiththeconditionwillinglyaccepttreatment,becausetheydonotrecognizetheillnessasadelusion.Antipsychoticmedicationsofferacure,whilecognitivebehavioraltherapyandantidepressantscanbeusedtohelpalleviatesymptoms.Theconditionisrare,andisobservedtwiceasofteninwomenasmen.Theaverageageofpeoplewiththedisorderis57.Analternativename,Ekbom'ssyndrome,referstotheneurologistKarl-AxelEkbom,whopublishedseminalaccountsofthediseasein1937and1938.[1]Contents1Classification2Signsandsymptoms3Causeandmechanism4Diagnosis4.1Differential5Treatment6Prognosis7Epidemiology8History8.1Morgellons9Societyandculture10Seealso11References12FurtherreadingClassification[edit]DelusionalinfestationisclassifiedasadelusionaldisorderofthesomaticsubtypeintheDiagnosticandStatisticalManualofMentalDisorders(DSM5).[1][2]Thenamedelusionalparasitosishasbeenthemostcommonnamesince2015,buttheconditionhasalsobeencalleddelusionalinfestation,delusoryparasitosis,delusionalectoparasitosis,psychogenicparasitosis,Ekbomsyndrome,dermatophobia,parasitophobia,formic