In primary delusional parasitosis, the patient has the delusion of being infested with parasites but no other psychiatric or organic disorders is ...AdvertisementSearchSpringerLinkSearchDelusionsofParasitosis:AnUpdateDownloadPDFDownloadPDFAbstractDelusionalparasitosis,alsoknownasdelusionalinfestationorEkbomsyndrome,isarelativelyinfrequentpsychoticdisordercharacterizedbyanunwaveringfalsebeliefthatthereisaparasiticinfestationoftheskin,despitetheabsenceofanymedicalevidencethatcouldsupportthisclaim.Delusionalparasitosiscanbecategorizedintoprimary,secondary,andorganicforms.Sometimes,closerelativesalsoexperienceidenticaldelusions.Thisphenomenonwasreportedtooccurin5–15%ofcases,andisknownassharedpsychoticdisorder–delusionalparasitosiswithfolieàdeux.Patientswithdelusionalparasitosisfrequentlyseekhelpfrommanyphysicians.Closemultidisciplinarycooperationbetweencliniciansisoftenkeytoshorteningthetimetakentodiagnosethisdisorder.Initiationofpsychopharmacologicaltherapyisachallenge,asmanypatientsrefuseanypsychiatrictreatmentbecauseofthestigmaassociatedwithmentalillnessandbecauseoftheirfirmbeliefthattheyhaveaparasiticinfestation,notapsychiatriccondition.Formanypatients,asenseofalackofunderstandingleadstoisolationandthedevelopmentofdepressionsymptoms,whichiswhyitiscrucialtoearnthetrustofsuchpatientswhiletakingcareofthem.IntroductionDelusionalparasitosis,alsoknownasdelusionalinfestationorEkbomsyndrome,isarelativelyinfrequentpsychoticdisordercharacterizedbyanunwaveringfalsebeliefthatthereisaparasiticinfestationoftheskin,despitetheabsenceofanymedicalevidencethatcouldsupportthisclaim.Thedisorderismostfrequentlyseeninmiddle-aged,oftensociallyisolated,women(theaverageageis57 ± 14 years)[1].Delusionalparasitosiscanbecategorizedintoprimary,secondary(functional),andorganicforms.Inprimarydelusionalparasitosis,thepatienthasthedelusionofbeinginfestedwithparasitesbutnootherpsychiatricororganicdisorders ispresent.Thesecondary(functional)andorganicformsofdelusionalparasitosisoccursecondarilytoother