Book contents
- Psychopathology of Rare and Unusual Syndromes
- Psychopathology of Rare and Unusual Syndromes
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Reviews
- Preface
- Section 1 Abnormalities of Belief and Judgement
- Section 2 Abnormalities of the Experience of Love
- Section 3 Abnormalities of Perception
- Chapter 6 Charles Bonnet Syndrome
- Chapter 7 Musical Hallucinosis
- Chapter 8 Ekbom Syndrome
- Chapter 9 Vulvodynia and Penoscrotodynia
- Chapter 10 Olfactory Reference Syndrome
- Chapter 11 Cross-Modal Perceptual Syndrome (Synaesthesia)
- Section 4 Abnormalities of the Self
- Section 5 Abnormalities of Experience of the Body
- Section 6 Abnormalities of Memory Function
- Section 7 Abnormalities of Behaviour
- References
- Index
Chapter 8 - Ekbom Syndrome
from Section 3 - Abnormalities of Perception
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 August 2021
- Psychopathology of Rare and Unusual Syndromes
- Psychopathology of Rare and Unusual Syndromes
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Reviews
- Preface
- Section 1 Abnormalities of Belief and Judgement
- Section 2 Abnormalities of the Experience of Love
- Section 3 Abnormalities of Perception
- Chapter 6 Charles Bonnet Syndrome
- Chapter 7 Musical Hallucinosis
- Chapter 8 Ekbom Syndrome
- Chapter 9 Vulvodynia and Penoscrotodynia
- Chapter 10 Olfactory Reference Syndrome
- Chapter 11 Cross-Modal Perceptual Syndrome (Synaesthesia)
- Section 4 Abnormalities of the Self
- Section 5 Abnormalities of Experience of the Body
- Section 6 Abnormalities of Memory Function
- Section 7 Abnormalities of Behaviour
- References
- Index
Summary
Ekbom syndrome, or delusional infestation, is a condition that sits between disorders of thinking, namely delusions, and disorders of perception, namely hallucinations. It is defined by Skott (1978, p. 11) as ‘a persistent condition in which the patient believes that small animals such as insects, lice, vermin or maggots are living and thriving on or within the skin. In spite of all negative evidence to the contrary, the patient has a firm conviction that she/he is infested. This belief, if unshakeable, is best characterized as a primary delusion. It is an isolated phenomenon without relation to other psychotic symptoms.’ Skott makes the point that this condition has had a variety of names dating back to Thirbierge in 1894, who termed it acarophobia, and in the English language literature, terms include acaraphobia, dermatophobia, parasitophobia, delusion of parasitosis, delusion of dermal parasitosis and delusions of infestation.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Psychopathology of Rare and Unusual Syndromes , pp. 90 - 102Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2021