Morgellons Disease: A Chemical and Light Microscopic Study
Marianne J. Middelveen1, Elizabeth H. Rasmussen2, Douglas G. Kahn3 and Raphael B. Stricker1*
1International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, Bethesda, MD
2College of Health Sciences, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY
3Department of Pathology, Olive View - UCLA Medical Center, Sylmar, California

Abstract

Morgellons disease is an emerging multisystem illness characterized by unexplained dermopathy and unusual skinassociated
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.

Introduction
Morgellons disease (MD) is an emerging dermatological disorder and multisystem illness. The disease is characterized by unexplained dermopathy associated with formation of unusual filaments found both subcutaneously and emerging from spontaneously appearing, slow-healing skin lesions [1]. Filaments associated with MD appear beneath unbroken skin [1,2], thus demonstrating that they are not self-implanted. Filaments have been observed protruding from and attached to a matrix of epithelial cells [3]. This finding demonstrates that the filaments are of human cellular origin and are not textile fibers. These filaments have not been matched with known textile fibers, and dye-extracting solvents have failed to release coloration; the fibers are also very strong and heat resistant [4,5]. MD filaments are physically and chemically consistent with keratin, a biofiber produced in the epithelium by keratinocytes. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that these filaments have a protein composition that is consistent with keratin [6].
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