CASE REPORT
KK is a 70-year-old female with a known history of living with HIV for
17 years and on hypertensive medications for 25 years. She was referred
for psychiatric consultation by a dermatologist because of a robust
unsubstantiated belief that her body is infested with insects “ants”.
The symptoms progressively worsened for five years, with the main
complaint of generalized body itching, which she attributes to crawling
insects all over her skin. She insisted that she could see ”the yellow
colored ants coming out of my body through the eyes, ears, armpits,
abdomen, thighs and legs” and even demonstrated by picking and crushing
them in front of the doctor.
The crawling sensations usually start immediately after waking up in the
morning or even wake her up from sleep, and the symptoms wane over the
day. She reports that the experience is so distressing that she
developed a ritual of killing the ”bugs” and collecting and flashing
them in the toilet; however, corroborative history from relatives
affirms that she actually removes skin debris which she firmly believes
to be ”the crawling insects.”
She avoided sharing a bed with others and washed them separately to
avoid contaminating other people’s clothes. She also avoids being in
public gatherings, including church, for fear of being seen ”scratching
herself too much” and mostly wears long-sleeved clothes to hide the
scratch marks. Although she claimed to ”see and feel the bugs,” she
denies people close to her having the same experience. She has been to
several hospitals, and spiritual and religious leaders for treatment
without any improvement. However, she recalls being told by the doctors
that she had “this experience” because her ”brain perceives
differently.” Further interviewing revealed no evidence of mood
disorders, anxiety disorders, hypochondriacal symptoms,
obsessive-compulsive disorders, or primary psychotic disorders, and her
past psychiatric history was uneventful.
Her past medical history is positive for hypertension of twenty-five
years, for which she currently she is stabilized on carvedilol. She also
has a seventeen-year history of living with HIV for which she has been
on a TLD (Tenofovir, Lamivudine, Dolutegravir) regimen for three years;
before using this, she was on Tenofovir, Lamivudine, and Efavirenz for
at least three. There is no history of HIV-associated opportunistic
infections since the diagnosis.
Physical examination revealed old and new excoriated lesions and scars
of different sizes and shapes all over the body except for the neck and
face.
Mental status examination findings were unremarkable except for her
preoccupation with removing ants from her body and complaining of
feeling ”the bugs crawling over my skin” and ”I see them come out.”
On neurocognitive assessment, she scored 26/30 in Montreal Cognitive
Assessment (MoCA), missing three points on attention and a point on
language fluency. In comparison, on the International HIV Dementia Scale
(IHDS) scale, she scored 8/12, missing two points for motor and two
points for psychomotor speed.
Laboratory investigations included a CD4 count of 747cells/µl (37.67%)
and hemoglobin level (12g/dl), while thyroid function, hepatic and renal
function test, and MRI, were all within normal range.
The diagnosis of psychotic disorder due to another medical condition,
Ekbom syndrome, was made.
The patient was kept on Haloperidol 1.5mg orally twice daily for one
month, resolving her delusional symptoms within the first two weeks.
Upon follow-up two months later, she presented with a two weeks history
of severely depressed mood persisting nearly every day accompanied by
loss of interest, difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep, loss of
appetite, and hopelessness. She also experienced suicidal thoughts
during the period and had one unsuccessful attempt by ingesting
metronidazole tablets in excess.
By her own account, she attributed the suicidal attempt to feelings of
worthlessness and hopelessness, saying that she is a “burden to her
family,” ”feeling not as strong as her usual self,” and that she ”can
no longer comprehend her current situation.” She was preoccupied with
self-deprecating thoughts and guilt for what happened many years back,
including the regret of how she convinced her dying husband to write the
will in her name to ”remain with all the assets” they accrued while
married. These symptoms were accompanied by irrational worries when left
alone, making her follow the housemaid everywhere and could not sleep
alone.
Diagnosis of MDD with anxious distress was made, and the patient was
kept on Fluoxetine 20mg tablets in the morning and continued with
tablets of haloperidol 1.5mg once at night. Psychoeducation and
supportive psychotherapy were done, and Cognitive behavioral therapy
(CBT) was initiated. Two weeks later, although she was still ”sad,”
there was some improvement and no suicidal ideation; she continued with
medications and CBT. Since then, the patient has been steadily improving
and able to return to the previous functioning. It is now nine months
since the first visit, and there has been no incidence of a significant
episode of depression or psychosis.