A Longitudinal Perspective Case Study of Delusional Parasitosis in a Geriatric Psychiatry Unit

Delusional parasitosis is not a common presentation in hospital-based geriatric units. Our aim was to review the presentation of a sudden onset of parasitosis in an older patient who had no prior psychiatric history, and its management. This case report describes an 82-year-old man who presented with delusions of parasitosis for the past three years of his life. The report includes a longitudinal description of the patient's symptoms, signs, and manifestations during his stay at an inpatient senior mental health service center, emergency department (ED) visits, and medical floor stay along with medication management of his psychiatric symptoms with concomitant medical issues. Presentation of delusional parasitosis poses a special challenge not only psychiatrically but also medically and dermatologically. The unique difficulty of finding appropriate antipsychotics for not only the symptoms of parasitosis but also the compulsive behavior that follows a deeply ingrained belief of being infested must be carefully managed, especially in the elderly. Somatic delusions that resemble a plausible but inaccurate reality of infestations could delay treatment as well.