Delusional Infestation: A Symptom or a Disease?

Authors

  • Ricardo Teixeira Ribeiro Hospital de Braga https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1718-741X
  • Célia Soares Hospital de Braga
  • Daniela Vilaverde Hospital de Braga
  • Liliana Silva Hospital de Braga
  • Joana Mesquita Hospital de Braga
  • Pedro Morgado Hospital de Braga ICVS/3Bs – PT Government Associate Laboratory, Universidade do Minho

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25752/psi.13205

Keywords:

Delusional Parasitosis, Classification

Abstract

Background: Delusional infestation (DI) is a patient´s fixed believe of infestation with living or non-living organisms, although there is no medical or microbiological evidence for that.
Aims: Report four cases of DI and review the nosology of this entity.
Methods: Description of four clinical cases admitted in Braga Hospital between 2010 and 2015, and non-systematic literature analysis based on MEDLINE data.
Results and Conclusions: The nosology and classification of DI have been controversial since its first description. The distinction between primary and secondary DI is not easy, and there are several medical conditions, which have been associated with cases of DI.

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Published

2019-08-18

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 2 (2017)

Section

Case Reports

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