Friday
May292009
Fri, May 29, 2009 | Lisa Barger Morgellons
“What is Morgellons?”
Morgellons (or Mogellons disease or Morgellons syndrome) is a very interesting topic because, depending upon whom you ask, it’s either a psychiatric disorder identified decades ago or a brand new disease not yet fully understood.
It was named in 2002 by a biologist named Mary Leitao after her preschooler began to complain of having “bugs” in his skin. According to Leitao’s account of things, she then begin examining sores on her son’s face and found unidentifiable multi-color fibers in the sores.
Convinced that her son had some as yet-unidentified medical condition—and frustrated by what she felt was the dismissive attitude of her son’s doctors—she formed and named the Morgellons Research Foundation.
Today, her organization claims to have cases of Morgellons from all 50 states and more than a dozen other countries.
What Scientists Say About Morgellons
Because all the symptoms of Morgellons can also be attributed to known medical conditions, there is much debate about what Morgellons actually is and whether it should be classified as a medical condition at all. Many medical experts feel it’s nothing more than a form of delusion involving non-existent parasites.
Other scientists believe that because nearly all Morgellons cases are self-diagnosed, patients are looking for a newer, trendier labels for old skin conditions like scabies, allergic reactions or eczema. Still other have postulated that some cases may be related to bacterial infections.
So, is Morgellons really real? The CDC would like to know and has funded a study to answer that very question.
References:
Lustig, A., et al. (2009). Morgellons disease as internet meme. Psychosomatics.
Savely, V., et al. (2006). The mystery of Morgellons disease: infection or delusion? American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.
Morgellons (or Mogellons disease or Morgellons syndrome) is a very interesting topic because, depending upon whom you ask, it’s either a psychiatric disorder identified decades ago or a brand new disease not yet fully understood.
It was named in 2002 by a biologist named Mary Leitao after her preschooler began to complain of having “bugs” in his skin. According to Leitao’s account of things, she then begin examining sores on her son’s face and found unidentifiable multi-color fibers in the sores.
Convinced that her son had some as yet-unidentified medical condition—and frustrated by what she felt was the dismissive attitude of her son’s doctors—she formed and named the Morgellons Research Foundation.
Today, her organization claims to have cases of Morgellons from all 50 states and more than a dozen other countries.
What Scientists Say About Morgellons
Because all the symptoms of Morgellons can also be attributed to known medical conditions, there is much debate about what Morgellons actually is and whether it should be classified as a medical condition at all. Many medical experts feel it’s nothing more than a form of delusion involving non-existent parasites.
Other scientists believe that because nearly all Morgellons cases are self-diagnosed, patients are looking for a newer, trendier labels for old skin conditions like scabies, allergic reactions or eczema. Still other have postulated that some cases may be related to bacterial infections.
So, is Morgellons really real? The CDC would like to know and has funded a study to answer that very question.
References:
Lustig, A., et al. (2009). Morgellons disease as internet meme. Psychosomatics.
Savely, V., et al. (2006). The mystery of Morgellons disease: infection or delusion? American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.
This is "retired" article left in place for archival purposes. It may not reflect current thinking or research on the topic.