icd 10 code for excoriations

by Prof. Arlie Koss MD 6 min read

ICD-10 code F42. 4 for Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder is a medical classification as listed by WHO under the range - Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders .

What is excoriations of the skin?

Excoriation disorder (also referred to as chronic skin-picking or dermatillomania) is a mental illness related to obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is characterized by repeated picking at one's own skin which results in skin lesions and causes significant disruption in one's life.

What is the meaning of neurotic excoriation?

Neurotic excoriations are self-inflicted skin lesions produced by repetitive scratching. Because there is no known physical problem of the skin, this is a physical manifestation of an emotional problem.

What category is excoriation?

At present the draft of ICD-11 lists Excoriation Disorder under the category of, Body-focused repetitive behaviour disorders which is a sub-category of Obsessive-compulsive or related disorders alongside other anxiety disorders, all of which sits inside the Mental, behavioural or neurodevelopmental disorders category.

Is excoriation an OCD disorder?

Skin-picking disorder is classified as a type of OCD. The compulsive urge to pick is often too powerful for many people to stop on their own. The more a person picks at their skin, the less control they have over the behavior. It's unclear what causes a person to develop this disorder.

What are excoriations in eczema?

Practice Essentials. Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder, also known as psychogenic excoriation, dermatillomania or neurotic excoriation, is characterized by the conscious repetitive picking of skin that leads to skin lesions and significant distress or functional impairment.

What is an example of excoriation?

Excoriation disorder is characterized by recurrent picking of one's skin resulting in skin lesions. Patients with excoriation disorder repeatedly pick at or scratch their skin; the picking is not triggered by cosmetic or health concerns (eg, to remove a lesion that they perceive as unattractive or possibly cancerous).

Is excoriation a wound?

Both excoriation and abrasion are terms used for superficial partial-thickness wounds of the skin.

How is excoriation diagnosed?

The specific DSM-5 criteria for excoriation (skin-picking) disorder are as follows : Recurrent skin-picking, resulting in skin lesions. Repeated attempts to decrease or stop skin picking. The skin picking causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of ...

What is the medical term for skin picking?

Also called dermatillomania or excoriation disorder, skin picking disorder is where you cannot stop picking at your skin. There are things you can try to help yourself, but some people may need professional treatment.

What type of OCD is skin picking?

Skin picking disorder is currently classified as an impulse control disorder. Skin picking disorder is also sometimes referred to as a “body focused repetitive behavior.” It is also sometimes referred to as an “obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder” (or “OC spectrum disorder”) because it shares features of OCD.

What causes excoriation disorder?

Stress or mental health conditions: During times of stress, people might pick or scratch their skin, pull their hair, or bite their nails to relieve it. Others might feel compelled to pick their skin as a form of self-grooming or in an attempt to remove real or imagined imperfections in the skin.

Is skin picking related to anxiety?

Skin picking may be triggered by anxiety as a way to relieve stress. When it becomes frequent and intense, however, it can become a condition called skin picking disorder or excoriation. People with skin picking disorder do it out of habit and may struggle to control the impulse.

Why is excoriation disorder a separate category in the DSM-5?

Two of the main reasons for objecting to the inclusion of excoriation disorder in the DSM-5 are: that excoriation disorder may just be a symptom of a different underlying disorder, e.g. OCD or BDD, and excoriation disorder is merely a bad habit and that by allowing this disorder to obtain its own separate category it would force the DSM to include a wide array of bad habits as separate syndromes, e.g., nail-biting and nose-picking. Stein has argued that excoriation disorder does qualify as a separate syndrome and should be classified as its own category because:

What are the effects of excoriation disorder?

Excoriation disorder can cause feelings of intense helplessness, guilt, shame, and embarrassment in individuals , and this greatly increases the risk of self-harm.

How long does excoriation last?

Typically, individuals with excoriation disorder find that the disorder interferes with daily life. Hindered by shame, embarrassment, and humiliation, they may take measures to hide their disorder by not leaving home, wearing long sleeves and pants even in the heat, or covering visible damage to the skin with cosmetics and/or bandages. When untreated, excoriation disorder can last anywhere from 5 to 21 years. However, many doctors consider this disorder to be a permanent diagnosis.

How many people with excoriation have dermatological treatment?

One study found that only 45% of individuals with excoriation disorder ever sought treatment, and only 19% ever received dermatological treatment. Another study found that only 30% of individuals with this disorder sought treatment.

How often do excoriation disorders pick?

Individuals with excoriation disorder vary in their picking behaviour; some do it briefly multiple times a day while others can do one picking session that can last for hours . The most common way to pick is to use the fingers although a significant minority of people use tools such as tweezers or needles.

What are the complications of excoriation?

Complications arising from excoriation disorder include infection at the site of picking, tissue damage, and sepsis. Damage from picking can be so severe as to require skin grafting. Severe picking can cause epidermal abscesses. Severe cases of excoriation disorder can cause life-threatening injuries.

What is the DSM-5?

As of the release of the fifth Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in May 2013, this disorder is classified as its own separate condition under "Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders" and is termed "excoriation (skin-picking) disorder". The diagnostic material is as follows:

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