Work

A case report of delusional parasitosis by proxy: a rare entity

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Delusional parasitosis is a rare, fixed, false belief that an individual is infested with parasites or other living organisms despite no laboratory evidence to confirm this belief. It can manifest as a shared belief, folie à deux, or by proxy. CASE PRESENTATION: This case report describes an 8-year-old patient with Trisomy 21 with delusional parasitosis by proxy. The patient's mother remained fixated on the patient having a parasitic infection despite extensive reassuring evaluations. There were multiple normal-appearing pictures and videos of the patient's urine, stool, skin and throat shown to the medical team, consistent with the "specimen sign" described in the literature. CONCLUSIONS: Delusional parasitosis is rare and can be difficult to diagnose and treat. It has even more complexity and implications in pediatric or other vulnerable populations. A multidisciplinary treatment approach is important to build trust and prevent harm.

Source: BMC Psychiatry

DOI: 10.1186/s12888-025-07236-x

Authors: Caroline Chivily, Brianna Glover

Institutions: Emory University, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

Language: English

Topic: Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,290