Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 13, 2025

The MODS method for diagnosis of tuberculosis and multidrug resistant tuberculosis
23:06

The MODS method for diagnosis of tuberculosis and multidrug resistant tuberculosis

Published on: August 11, 2008

19.3K

Morgellons disease etiology and therapeutic approach: a systematic review

Katherine G Beuerlein, Esther A Balogh, Steven R Feldman1

  • 1Center for Dermatology Research, Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC Department of Pathology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC Department of Social Sciences & Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC Department of Dermatology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense. sfeldman@wakehealth.edu.

Dermatology Online Journal
|November 10, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Morgellons disease, characterized by skin fibers, is best explained by a psychiatric etiology. Treatment with antipsychotic medication is supported by current evidence after excluding other causes.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology
  • Psychiatry
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Morgellons disease presents with skin fibers, with debated infectious or psychiatric causes.
  • Current treatment guidelines for Morgellons disease are not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate existing evidence on the etiology and treatment of Morgellons disease.
  • To inform clinical management strategies for patients with Morgellons disease.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive PubMed search was conducted using keywords related to Morgellons disease and delusional infestation.
  • Original research articles published from January 2010 onwards, focusing on etiology and treatment, were reviewed.

Main Results:

  • Sixteen articles on etiology showed correlative data, with stronger support for a psychiatric origin than an infectious one.
  • Eleven articles on treatment indicated that antipsychotic regimens have the most evidence of efficacy.

Conclusions:

  • Current evidence suggests Morgellons disease has a psychiatric etiology.
  • Treatment with low-dose antipsychotic agents is recommended after excluding non-psychiatric causes.

More Related Videos

Application of Lucilia sericata Larvae in Debridement of Pressure Wounds in Outpatient Settings09:37

Application of Lucilia sericata Larvae in Debridement of Pressure Wounds in Outpatient Settings

Published on: December 4, 2021

8.4K
Detecting the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, in Ticks Using Nested PCR07:20

Detecting the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, in Ticks Using Nested PCR

Published on: February 4, 2018

18.3K

Related Concept Videos

Types of Intermediate Filaments01:31

Types of Intermediate Filaments

The intermediate filaments are an essential component of the cytoskeleton. Presently six types of intermediate filament have been identified. Type I and II are acidic and basic keratin proteins. Type III is of mesodermal origin and comprises four proteins: vimentin, desmin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and peripherin. Vimentin is commonly found in mesenchymal cells, desmin in muscle cells, GFAP in astrocytes, while peripherin is found in peripheral nervous system neurons (PNS). Type...
4.0K
Fungal Phylum Microsporidia01:28

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
178