Morgellons Disease: A Chemical and Light Microscopic Study
Abstract
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Morgellons disease is an emerging multisystem illness characterized by unexplained dermopathy and unusual skin- associated filament production. Despite evidence demonstrating that an infectious process is involved and that lesions are not self-inflicted, many medical practitioners continue to claim that this illness is delusional. We present relevant clinical observations combined with chemical and light microscopic studies of material collected from three patients with Morgellons disease. Our study demonstrates that Morgellons disease is not delusional and that skin lesions with unusual fibers are not self-inflicted or psychogenic. We provide chemical, light microscopic and immunohistological evidence that filaments associated with this condition originate from human epithelial cells, supporting the hypothesis that the fibers are composed of keratin and are products of keratinocytes.
Keywords: Morgellons disease; Digital dermatitis; Lyme disease; Borrelia burgdorferi; Spirochetes; Keratin