Health Research

January 16, 2008

CDC Chooses Kaiser Permanente to Investigate Unexplained Skin Condition

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has engaged Kaiser Permanente researchers to study Unexplained Dermopathy.

Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research in Oakland, Calif., will conduct the study. The CDC will identify patients in Kaiser Permanente's Northern California region for the study. Northern California has a concentration of self-reported cases of Unexplained Demopathy, according to the CDC. Kaiser Permanente's significant presence in Northern California will help researchers systematically identify patients who may have this unexplained illness, which some have referred to as Morgellons.

The CDC has received an increased number of inquiries regarding this unexplained skin condition. "The cause of this condition is unknown, and the medical community has insufficient information to determine whether persons who identify themselves as having this condition have a common cause for their symptoms or share common risk factors," according to the CDC's website.

Read more about the study through the CDC's website, which now has a section specifically for this study.