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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:
  1. compulsive type: relieves anxiety
  2. impulsive type: relieves tension and brings arousal, pleasure.
  3. mixed type

 

 

  • Patients with neurotic excoriations often suffer from one or more of the following conditions (comorbidity):
  1. depression
  2. bipolar
  3. stress
  4. anxiety
  5. alcoholism
  6. phobia

 

 

  • Treatment can be with or without medication and includes the following:
  1. behavioral therapy
  2. hypnosis
  3. psychoanalysis and psychotherapy
  4. selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI)
  5. treatment of comorbidities

 

 

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)

Original article: here