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Delusional infestation: Clinical presentations, diagnosis, and management
Author(s) -
Torales Julio,
García Oscar,
Barrios Iván,
O’Higgins Marcelo,
CastaldelliMaia João Mauricio,
Ventriglio Antonio,
Jafferany Mohammad
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of cosmetic dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.626
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1473-2165
pISSN - 1473-2130
DOI - 10.1111/jocd.13786
Subject(s) - delusional disorder , infestation , psychiatry , medicine , differential diagnosis , medical diagnosis , pathology , psychosis , botany , biology
Background Delusional infestation is a primary psychiatric disorder characterized by a somatic‐type delusional disorder (primary delusional infestation) that may lead to self‐induced cutaneous lesions which are often difficult to recognize and treat properly. It may be also secondary to other psychiatric disorders, medical diseases, or substance abuse. Aims This review will describe prevalence, common clinical features, different clinical presentations, differential diagnoses, and treatment recommendation. Special focus has been put on psychological aspects. Methods We conducted a literature search on PubMed from January 2001 to June 2020 with the search terms of delusional parasitosis, delusional infestation, psychological, Reference lists of identified articles were examined for further relevant studies. The search was limited to English language articles. No specified quality criteria were used for study inclusion. Results The clinical manifestations of delusional infestation are very important in the differential diagnosis and its psychological implications and management perspectives. Conclusion This article presents an update regarding the clinical aspects and treatment options of delusional infestation in order to provide an up‐to‐date review for dermatologists and general practitioners.