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.