The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is launching a study to improve understanding of an unexplained and controversial dermatologic condition known as Morgellons, which is affecting an increasing number of individuals in the United States and abroad, the agency announced last month.
Little is known about the cause of the condition, which is characterized by a range of dermatologic symptoms, including rashes and sores that occur in association with abnormal crawling, biting, or stinging sensations. Patients often describe having threads, fibers, or foreign materials underneath or protruding from the skin in affected areas. Fatigue, mental confusion, memory loss, joint pain, and changes in vision have also been reported.
Some medical professionals consider Morgellons to be a manifestation of other medical or psychological conditions, including delusional parasitosis, but experts are divided on the topic.
“What is clear is that those who suffer from this condition, as well as their family members and their physicians, have questions,” Dr. Michele Pearson said during a press briefing held to announce the study's launch.
It is also clear that the symptoms and the suffering of patients are very real, said Dr. Pearson, principal investigator for the CDC, in response to questions from the media about whether Morgellons is a “real disease.”
The study will be conducted in conjunction with Kaiser Permanente Northern California, because it has a large population of members and because of its research capabilities. In addition, northern California is one of the areas in which cases have been geographically concentrated, Dr. Joe Selby, director, division of research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California said during the briefing.
Cases have also been reported in Canada, Australia, and several European countries. The CDC has received about 1,200 inquiries about the disorder, and some estimates put the number of self-reported cases at about 10,000.
The researchers aim to determine the prevalence, as well as to identify epidemiological, clinical, and histopathologic features of the condition. Patient recruitment will begin immediately. Participants will undergo a detailed general, dermatologic, and mental health evaluation; skin biopsies; and blood tests.
“[Morgellons] is complicated, and it may involve multiple factors … but we believe this study will provide useful information to the medical community, and–most importantly–to those who suffer with this disorder,” said Dr. Pearson.
Arrows point to fibers from a facial lesion that are similar to what some patients say are characteristic of Morgellons. Some physicians consider the condition a manifestation of medical or psychological conditions. Morgellons Research Foundation