Delusional infestation: an Australian multicentre study of 23 consecutive cases

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Delusional infestation (DI) is a challenging clinical diagnosis.
• Effective treatment strategies for DI are limited.
• Understanding patient demographics and treatment patterns is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the characteristics of patients with DI in Australia.
• To investigate the psychiatric comorbidity in DI patients.
• To assess the utilization of anti-parasitic treatments.

Main Methods:

• Case series methodology.
• Retrospective review of 23 DI patients.
• Analysis of patient demographics and treatment history.

Main Results:

• 23 patients diagnosed with delusional infestation identified.
• Majority of patients were female.
• Most patients lacked a psychiatric comorbid background.
• Prevalence of unnecessary anti-parasitic medication use was high.

Conclusions:

• Delusional infestation presents unique challenges in an Australian context.
• DI patients may not have pre-existing psychiatric conditions.
• Overuse of anti-parasitic treatments is a significant concern requiring clinical attention.