An Epoch of Ekbom’s Syndrome
Authors: Hirsch Camryn F. , Bonilla Patricia M. 
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Delusional parasitosis, yclept Ekbom’s Syndrome, was originally described in 1938 and has an incidence of up to 4.2 per 100,000 people (Olivera, 2017; Orsolini, 2020). While the average duration of this delusion is three years, it can last decades (Al-Imam, 2019). Ekbom’s Syndrome of ultra-short duration, only one hour, has not heretofore been described.

Methods

A 36-year-old woman with a past history of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar subtype, generalized anxiety disorder, and alcohol use disorder with a history of seizures and delirium tremens presented with a one- hour duration of the delusion of being infested with bugs. She believed that microscopic bugs flew up her nose, stayed there for one hour, and flew out. This had never happened to her before nor since. She admitted to sadness, crying spells, hopelessness, lack of social interaction, anhedonia, fatigue, irritability, anger, insomnia, anorexia, low interest, amotivation, lack of sexuality, racing thoughts, and anxiety. She denied déjà vu and jamais vu, or any other hallucinations—tactile, visual, or auditory.

Results

Abnormalities in Neurologic Examination: Mental Status Examination: Oriented x2, hyperverbal, anxious mood, blunted affect. Memory Testing: Immediate Recall: 6 digits forwards and 4 backwards. Recent Recall: 2 of 4 objects in three minutes without reinforcement, 4 of 4 objects with reinforcement. Remote Recall: Unable to name the presidents. Able to spell the word “world” forwards, but not backwards.

Oral Calculations: 75%. Written Calculations: 50%. Ideomotor Apraxia: Absent. Ideational Apraxia: 66%. Vocabulary Testing: 19/24. Drawing to Commands: 1/3. Higher Cognitive Function Test: 66%. Proverbs: 60%. Similarities: 80%. Judgement: 40%. Cranial Nerve (CN) Examination abnormalities. Cranial Nerve (CN) Examination: CN I: Alcohol Sniff Test: 2 (anosmia). CN III, IV, VI: Bilateral ptosis. Reflexes: 3+ throughout. Other: Blood Alcohol: 0.03.

Conclusions

Delusional Parasitosis, in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V (DSM V), is categorized as delusional disorder, somatic type, and requires persistence of symptoms for at least one month (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Ekbom’s Syndrome is generally years in duration, ranging from months to decades, with over 20% of individuals suffering for more than five years (Hinkle,2010). Others have found that mean duration is 2.6 years and suggested that a shorter duration reflected a better prognosis (Boggild, 2010). In a meta-analysis of 1,223 cases, mean duration was found to be three years with no correlation between age of onset and duration of delusions (Trabert, 1995). In a study with 365 patients with delusional parasitosis, 39% had symptoms for less than 1 year, 61% were of greater than a year, and 20% had Ekbom Syndrome for five years or longer (Reilly, 1986). A short duration of 3 months has also been noted but delusional parasitosis is more typically seen to last more than twenty years (Martins, 2016; Colbeaux,2020; Dridi, 2015; Olari, 2011; Alves, 2010; Nicolato, 2006; Mahler, 2008; Bellanger, 2009).The one-hour duration in our patient suggests either that this delusional disorder diagnosis must remain provisional or the criteria should be reduced to substantially less than one-month duration. In those with symptoms of delusional parasitosis, the transient nature of symptoms should not preclude the diagnosis and query as to this disorder in those with acute delusions may be revealing.

Funding

No Funding