Delusional Infestation

Abstract

The skin is by far the largest organ of the body and it performs a variety of important functions. In both a concrete and symbolic sense the skin serves as a boundary separating the inner person from the outer world, self from non-self. It is evident therefore that cutaneous awareness is a central part of overall body image. It should be no surprise to learn how frequently real, imaginary or factitious dermal-pathology may occur in association with psychiatric disorder. The false idea that something is alive and moving in the skin has been presented to dermatologists and, to a lesser extent, psychiatrists for many years. It has attracted a ready psychodynamic explanation based on the concept of somatisation of emotional experience, and taking into account the symbolic function of the target organ.