Investigating Morgellons Syndrome

Diagnosis

The nature of the symptoms, particularly the feeling of movement under the skin attributed to bugs, has led skeptical practitioners towards a diagnosis of delusions of parasitosis (DP)(see next page). This diagnosis has meant that sufferers often experience a great deal of frustration with the medical community as they feel that they are not taken seriously, that doctors view it as a psychological problem, rather than as the patients believe, a physiological one. As a result the Morgellons Research Foundation (MRF) estimates that patients have seen, on average, anywhere between 10-40 doctors in an attempt to get help for their condition.

However, it is argued that any psychopathology displayed by patients could well be caused by the disease itself, representing a currently misunderstood symptom. In this view the primary infection results in the display of physiological symptoms - the appearance of lesions - and then there is a set of secondary neurological symptoms that are caused by the original infection. Indeed with regard to the mental effects of physiological disease Robert Aronowitz, in his 1998 book Making Sense of Illness: Science, Society, and Disease, points out that;

“There is no well accepted way to determine whether associated psychological symptoms are effects or causes.”

As far as how the disease is transmitted Savely et al note that this is currently unknown. In fact it is unclear whether Morgellons is actually transmissible by humans. It is contact with soil or waste products that appear to be associated with the disease, although it is not clear exactly what role they play. Patients have also reported the disease to be present in pets, particularly dogs, but also cats and horses.

The reports that the disease may be present in animals would suggest that a diagnosis of Delusional Parasitosis is less plausible. However these reports are just that - reports. There has been no peer-reviewed scientific investigation to back up the claim that Morgellons is present in animals and therefore more study and research is needed before any definitive statements can be made.

Savely et al further note that where skin biopsies have been performed they reveal “no observable pathologies” but go on to caution that

“pathologists look for signs of known diseases and, thus, may miss clues of Morgellons disease…”

However at present it should be noted that, Morgellons, due to the absence of any established agent or infectious entity, is best considered as a syndrome. The word syndrome comes from the ancient Greek meaning ‘run together’ and is applied to a set of features that appear concurrently where no direct cause can be established.

John W. Gardener (2003) writing in Military Medecine, notes that syndromes are;

“usually based primarily upon self-reported symptoms without pathognomonic physical findings or confirmatory lab’ tests.”

He goes on to note that these ‘symptom syndromes’ present a considerable challenge to the medical community. Symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disorder, headaches, joint pain and various forms of mental impairment are common to a number of separate syndromes; Gulf War Syndrome (GWS), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome, fibromyalgia and now Morgellons.