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Morgellons Still a Mystery

Gord_in_Toronto

Penultimate Amazing
Gord_in_Toronto
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Jul 22, 2006
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I see there are a number of previous threads (;)) on Morgellons on this Forum but this seems to be a real study by real scientists.

And "The just-completed study cost the Atlanta-based agency (U.S. Centers for Diseases Control) US$580,000."

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ar...llons-has-physiological-cause--138077388.html

Extensive study of people who believe they have a mysterious condition that has been dubbed Morgellons syndrome suggests that whatever is ailing these people probably isn't physiological.

The study, by the U.S. Centers for Diseases Control, rules out infectious diseases and environmental exposures as a possible cause of the rarely reported condition.

Published Wednesday in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS One, the study notes that many of the people tested had other medical ailments, including depression and other neuropsychiatric conditions. It suggested treatment for these other conditions could help sufferers with the symptoms they associate with Morgellons.

Reading between the sensitively worded lines, the study appears to be saying Morgellons — which some in the medical community describe as delusional parasitosis — is in the sufferers' minds. But the CDC, which for years received pleading calls from sufferers seeking help, was not willing to put it in such bald terms.
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In the CDC's study, scientific analysis was done on fibres collected from the lesions of several people in the presence of the researchers. But the U.S. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology determined the fibres were just that — tiny threads, such as those that might come from clothing, that had stuck to abscesses and scabs that were self-inflicted by excessive scratching.

"These fibres are inanimate. They're cotton, they're nylon. They're not part of the problem either," Eberhard said.
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I don't suppose this will convince those who do not want to be convinced but . . .

:th:
 
Well let’s hope they can tie up the loose ends on this condition and these people don’t feel so strung out.
 
So really, both sides are right. Morgellons patients are suffering from something real. It's a real psychological disorder.
 
Morgellons seems to be more than psychological. Just because the CDC doesn't understand it doesn't mean it's just in the sufferer's minds.

Maybe it's just very hard to figure out. I remember when chronic fatigue syndrome was similarly dismissed and may still be by some, but appears connected to viral infections.

There's just a lot of stuff science and medical science hasn't figured out yet.
 
randman said:
Morgellons seems to be more than psychological. Just because the CDC doesn't understand it doesn't mean it's just in the sufferer's minds.

Maybe it's just very hard to figure out. I remember when chronic fatigue syndrome was similarly dismissed and may still be by some, but appears connected to viral infections.

There's just a lot of stuff science and medical science hasn't figured out yet.
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And your evidence for the claim is.....?
 
Just what I've noticed over the years. I recall seeing a local newscast years ago and long before the CDC did anything (interviewed 100 patients and that's conclusive???), and just looks like the CDC report is a whitewash. Don't know what's going on but doesn't really pass the smell test. They say they tested some things with "some" patients and interviewed "over a hundred." So that reads to me like they did some anecdotal type of investigation in terms of actual tests and then interviewed a wider group.

I'd like to see a more comprehensive investigation such as investigating and testing things with 100 or more patients. Look at the fibers of all 100, for example, or more. Just testing a few patients and interviewing (what?) 100 is not very impressive or conclusive.

Btw, the fibers I saw reported were not even on abscesses or skin that had been scratched a lot. Makes me a skeptic then when they presume it must be people scratching a lot and then fibers getting stuck to them. Maybe the selection of people to test wasn't random after all?

But hey, not dogmatic here. Would just like to see a more proper and thorough investigation.
 
randman said:
Btw, the fibers I saw reported were not even on abscesses or skin that had been scratched a lot. Makes me a skeptic then when they presume it must be people scratching a lot and then fibers getting stuck to them. Maybe the selection of people to test wasn't random after all?
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They don't presume that. They conclude that.
 
randman said:
Just what I've noticed over the years. I recall seeing a local newscast years ago and long before the CDC did anything (interviewed 100 patients and that's conclusive???), and just looks like the CDC report is a whitewash.
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What makes you think all the CDC did was "interview 100 patients"?

I suggest you take a look at the actual study before you make such simplistic, uninformed statements.

We collected detailed epidemiologic data, performed clinical evaluations and geospatial analyses and analyzed materials collected from participants' skin.
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Study Design and Eligibility Criteria

This descriptive case series study had three major components: a cross-sectional survey, clinical evaluations, and histopathologic studies. [...] The study was reviewed and approved by Institutional Review Boards at CDC, KPNC, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), and the University of Rochester.
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See Clinical, Epidemiologic, Histopathologic and Molecular Features of an Unexplained Dermopathy for full details.

How does your "local newscast" beat that?
 
AdMan said:
What makes you think all the CDC did was "interview 100 patients"?

I suggest you take a look at the actual study before you make such simplistic, uninformed statements.






See Clinical, Epidemiologic, Histopathologic and Molecular Features of an Unexplained Dermopathy for full details.

How does your "local newscast" beat that?
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Cause your local newscast is real people who you can see at the 7-11 or in Squinty's Cafe downtown having coffee with the police chief. But them perfessors are just numbnuts feeding off government handouts and doing weird things to cows and calling it science. Ya' can't fool me on that, buddy. Go flush your dumb "studies". Obama's damn fault anyway.
 
They started with 115 people, 70 completed the cross sectional survey, 41 were examined clinically and skin biopsies were taken from 31 people.

It reads like it was a pretty thorough study. Perhaps those with more experience of medical studies could give a critique of their methodology.
 
I guess if *all* they did was to interview, examine and biopsy tens of patients then there are all the other Morgellons sufferers out there who weren't interviewed, examined or biopsied.

Those who are convinced about Morgellons won't be satisfied until every patient is treated with equal rigour (regardless of cost/inconvenience) and even then will be sceptical of the results.
 
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