Atopic Dermatitis: a Short Summary
Neurotic Excoriations (For Professionals)
- The differential diagnosis is dermatitis artefacta, however patients with neurotic excoriations admit to scratching.
- The condition is more frequent in females
- Types of behaviour patterns inducing neurotic excoriations
- compulsive type: relieves anxiety
- impulsive type: relieves tension and brings arousal, pleasure.
- mixed type
- Patients with neurotic excoriations often suffer from one or more of the following conditions (comorbidity):
- depression
- bipolar
- stress
- anxiety
- alcoholism
- phobia
- …
- Treatment can be with or without medication and includes the following:
- behavioural therapy
- hypnosis
- psychoanalysis and psychotherapy
- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)
- treatment of comorbidities
Contributors:
Dr Christophe HSU – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland
Source of information: Misery L. Psychogenic Excoriations-The skin picking syndromes. 19th Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) – Gothenburg (Göteborg), Sweden (Sverige)
Related posts