The psychiatric profile of patients with psychogenic excoriation.

BACKGROUND

Psychogenic excoriation describes patients who excoriate without apparent primary skin abnormality.

OBJECTIVE

This study compares the psychiatric profile of patients with psychogenic excoriation with a control group.

METHODS

Fifty consecutive patients with psychogenic excoriation were matched with 50 control patients and given a questionnaire related to psychiatric history.

RESULTS

Study and control groups differed significantly in relation to psychiatric comorbidity, use of psychotropic drugs, history of depression, and history of bipolar disorder. Psychogenic excoriation was not associated with personal history of other psychiatric disorders or family history of psychiatric comorbidity, except alcoholism.

LIMITATIONS: Nonpsychiatrists may have made the psychiatric diagnoses.

CONCLUSION

Psychogenic excoriation is significantly associated with psychiatric comorbidity, especially depression and bipolar disorder. Awareness by the patient of a link between the psychiatric disorder and the cutaneous condition may help patients in dealing with the distress caused by the unknown nature of the excoriating behavior.