Chronic wounds and delusions of parasitosis in the drug abuser.

Abstract

Plastic surgeons are routinely consulted about the care of difficult or chronic wounds. Most of these wounds have a physiologic basis and are treated according to basic wound-healing principles. Patients with factitious wounds are difficult to treat and present diagnostic dilemmas. We present a case and review of the literature of drug-induced delusions of parasitosis to inform plastic surgeons of this important entity and for consideration in the differential diagnosis of chronic wounds.