A sub-group of patients presenting to dermatological services
describe chronic abnormal skin sensations, characterised by a
feeling of crawling or movement and sometimes stinging sensations
on or under the skin in the absence of evidence for a local
cause. These sensations can evoke the subjective experience and
belief of infestation by animate organisms or infiltration by inanimate
matter. If this belief is particularly strong, patients can be
diagnosed as having Delusional Infestation (Bewley et al., 2010).
Interestingly, although chronic abnormal skin sensations can occur
in isolation, they are also observed secondary to other medical
disorders, including stroke, dementia, intoxication or drug withdrawal
states.
The impact of these experiences can be considerable, causing