Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology (Sep 2019)
Health providers induced iatrogenic delusions of infestation
Abstract
Pooja R Shah,1 Elizabeth Cusick,1 Yasmine Nousari,2 Andrea Sandoz,1 Francisco Tausk1 1Department of Dermatology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; 2Psychology Department, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USACorrespondence: Francisco TauskDepartment of Dermatology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14642, USATel +1 410 245 1735Email [email protected]: Patients that suffer from factitial dermatosis mutilate their skin, often lacking any consciousness of self-injury, attributing the resulting lesions to spontaneous development. The case hereby described shows how the health providers’ interventions led a patient from a baseline undiagnosed factitious disorder to frank delusions of infestation with Mycobacterium Kansasii, and a relentless search for antibiotic treatments. We highlight the need for educating health practitioners on the characteristics of psycho-cutaneous disorders.Keywords: delusions of parasitosis, delusions of infestation, factitious dermatosis, psychodermatology, dermatology
