[Psychiatric and parasitologic aspects of dermatozoon delusion]

Patients suffering from delusional parasitosis are not only seen by psychiatrists, but more often by dermatologists and parasitologists. Previous results published by researchers of differing specialities led to somewhat contradictory opinions concerning these patients. The main goals of the present study were, on the one hand, to examine the various and partly controversial hypotheses, which were mostly based on single case observations in a substantial sample of 107 patients with delusional parasitosis and, on the other hand, to investigate possible differences between patients who consulted the parasitologist initially and those who saw the dermatologist first and were subsequently treated by a psychiatrist. Hence, 34 patients treated by one of the authors (M.M.) at a special outpatient clinic for patients with delusional parasitosis of the Second Dermatological University Department, Vienna, have been compared with 73 patients who consulted the other author (E.K.) at the Institute of Parasitology of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna. Some similarities, but also marked differences were found between the two groups: the sex ratio was similar in both groups but they differed with regard to age, social background (size of household) localisation of "parasites" and the mode of "infection". The results demonstrate the necessity of developing differentiated medical care programmes which take into account these differences.