What is "delusional parasitosis"

n. A perceived affliction. Those affected by this disease experience uncontrolled hallucination involving parasite which the victim sees and feels on their body.

Delusional parasitosis, also known as delusional infestation or Ekbom's syndrome, is a delusional disorder in which individuals incorrectly believe they are infested with parasites, insects, or bugs, whereas in reality no such infestation is present. Individuals with delusional parasitosis usually report tactile hallucinations known as formication, a sensation resembling insects crawling on or under the skin.

Delusional parasitosis is a mental disorder characterized by a fixed, false belief that a skin infestation exists, which is in contrast to cases of actual parasitosis, such as scabies and infestation with Demodex, in which a skin infestation is present and identifiable by a physician through physical examination or laboratory tests.

The alternative name, Ekbom's syndrome, was named after Swedish neurologist Karl-Axel Ekbom, who published seminal accounts of the disease in 1937 and 1938. It is differentiated from Willis-Ekbom Disease (WED), another name for restless legs syndrome.