Ekbom Syndrome associated with Lewy Body Dementia: A case report

ABSTRACT Ekbom Syndrome, also known as parasitosis delusion or psychogenic parasitosis, is a rare condition in which patients present with a fixed belief of being infested by parasites, vermin or small insects, along with tactile hallucinations (such as pruritus or sensations of the parasites crawli...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Felippe José Pontes de Mendonça, Ivan Abdalla Teixeira, Valeska Marinho
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Associação Neurologia Cognitiva e do Comportamento 2020-03-01
Series:Dementia & Neuropsychologia
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Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-57642020000100083&tlng=en
Description
Summary:ABSTRACT Ekbom Syndrome, also known as parasitosis delusion or psychogenic parasitosis, is a rare condition in which patients present with a fixed belief of being infested by parasites, vermin or small insects, along with tactile hallucinations (such as pruritus or sensations of the parasites crawling over or under the skin). The syndrome may occur idiopathically or be associated with other medical conditions and drug use. This case report describes the occurrence of Ekbom syndrome in a patient diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), a neurodegenerative disease that commonly presents with sensory perception and thought disorders and other neuropsychiatric symptoms. Although visual hallucination is considered a core diagnostic criterion, other modalities of psychiatric symptoms can also occur posing a further challenge for correct diagnosis. Proper recognition allows early diagnosis and adequate treatment, preventing hazardous antipsychotic use in these patients.
ISSN:1980-5764