DELUSIONAL PARASITOSIS ASSOCIATED WITH DIALYSIS TREATED WITH ARIPIPRAZOLE

We report the case of a 75-year-old Chinese lady that presented delusional parasitosis with visual hallucinations four months after starting peritoneal dialysis. This psychosis is characterized by the persistent and unshakable belief of being infested with small living organisms, although there is no medical evidence for this. The patient had no previous history of psychiatric disorders, presented diminished visual acuity due to cataracts and macular degeneration, did not show cognitive deterioration, and was medicated with erythropoietin. During the course of the psychosis she presented an episode of visual hallucinations possibly related to Charles Bonnet syndrome. After two months of treatment with aripiprazole the psychotic symptoms remitted considerably. Aripiprazole is a neuroleptic to consider in the treatment of delusional parasitosis.