Among patients with a diagnosis of delusional skin infestation, neither biopsies nor patient-provided specimens provided objective evidence of skin infestation, according to a report posted online that will be published in the September issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Delusional infestation is a condition in which patients steadfastly yet mistakenly believe that pathogens are infesting their skin. Sometimes, patients believe their skin is literally crawling with bugs, worms, or germs, which is also known as “delusions of parasitosis.” In other cases, patients perceive that inanimate objects such as wood chips, fibers, or little tubes are involved. While case reports and small case series of these reports exist, there has not been much formal study of the validity of the specimens, whether derived from biopsies or provided by the patients themselves.
Sara A. Hylwa, B.S., and colleagues from the Mayo Medical School and Mayo Clinic in Rochester , Minn. conducted a retrospective review of delusional infestation cases seen at the Mayo Clinic between 2001 and 2007. Of the 108 patients included in this study, 80 received biopsies, 80 provided self-procured specimens, and 52 had both. Among the materials reported to be infesting the skin were bugs (79%), worms, eggs, fibers, “specks,” “triangles,” and gravel or grainlike material.
None of the biopsies showed evidence of infestation, the authors report. Sixty-one percent did reveal dermatitis and nearly half (48%) exhibited excoriation, ulceration or erosion of the skin. Of the patient-provided specimens, one-fourth of which were examined by a pathologist, only one contained an infesting parasite — a pubic louse that was determined not to be responsible for the symptoms reported.
The authors write that the results suggest that in cases of delusional infestation, biopsies may not overturn the diagnosis: “This study is important for patients. Patients frequently believe that physicians are dismissive of their concerns and are not examining their skin closely enough, and therefore patients request that more testing be performed.” In conclusion, the authors note, “The majority of skin biopsy results did show dermatitis, raising the possibility that skin inflammation and its attendant tactile discomfort might be the trigger provoking delusional symptoms in susceptible individuals.”
Ola,
C’est lamentable comme attitude. Parce qu’ils ne trouvent rien ils déduisent qu’ils n’y a rien. Ceci ce n’est pas de la science c’est de la fumisterie. S’il n’y a rien c’est que cette maladie est beaucoup plus complexe et étrange que ça. Ramener le morgellon à une maladie psy ou une simple maladie de peau c’est une honte. Surtout que de nous jours , les témoignages, les vidéos et les images abondent.
En vérité, le morgellon fait peur et la vérité est à ce jour encore bien protégé. Ce qu’elle implique est énorme….
Ola,
Le manque de preuve par examen de sang et biopsie est connu par les personnes qui souffrent du morgellon.
Et c’est bien cela le mystère: cette maladie échappe aux examens habituels comme de la même manière elle échappe la plupart du temps aux observations des médecins. J’ai plusieurs fois expérimenté cela avec mon épouse qui en souffre depuis 2003/2004. Cette maladie est vraiment très étrange. Je comprends qu’il soit difficile d’y croire . Cependant les témoignages abondent et les analyses qui ont pu être faites par des laboratoires privés vont toutes dans le même sens, elles nous montrent toutes la même réalité. UN ARTEFACT . BIOTECHNOLOGIQUE . Il serait grand temps que les gouvernements et les scientifiques se penchent plus sérieusement sur cette maladie. Ce qu’elle implique est énorme quel que soit le scénario, son origine.
Une arme ? une contamination due a un OGM ?, a un biopesticide ?
Aux extraterrestres ? a ce sujet dites vous bien que les premiers cas de morgellon semblent remonter à plus de 30 ans. Donc à cette époque les technologies n’étaient pas encore en mesure de produire une telle horreur .( Le microscope a effet tunnel date de 1981) dés lors pourquoi pas E.T. ,Est ce si saugrenu ? la possibilité qu’il y ai des extraterrestres qui nous surveilleraient est de plus en plus grande. Ceci n’est pas seulement une affaire de croyance mais aussi de connaissances. Pour les crop circles c’est pareil, l’absurdité ce n’est plus de croire n’importe quoi, c’est de refuser de voir et de prendre connaissance de ce qui se passe actuellement dans le monde.
I have the fiber disease- hate the M word. I’ve noticed many people on the internet claiming to have the disease are mistaken or nuts. Chem trails and tiny nanotech machines. People who itch or feel crawling decide they must have Morgellons.
Please watch Fuzz Noir – human fiber coming from scalp – on Youtube to see what it looks like. As the guy explains the fibers are not from a towel. He did not use a towel.
If you don’t have fibers coming out of your body, the you got something else.
It is easy to dismiss the problem as DOP even with your results. Naturally if one is looking at an organism that is new to science or an organism that has been modified, evfen accidentally, it may not show up in any biopsies yet it exists and causes damage. I believe further investigation is necessary. I have seen too many people and too many things appear that are not the norm on every person and it is wrong in those situations to just lable a person DOP. Many new diseases have gone through such problems at their onset, and it is not fair to the many suffering individuals. I believe a statement as above does not put a patients mind to rest to accept a DOP diagnosis, but instead infuriates them that a study this basic draws all the conclusions without taking into account what I mentioned earlier.