The vases and tiles used were created entirely by the production department.
Although this is credited to Jeff Vlaming as writer, the concept behind this episode - a pyramid scheme for body parts - came from Chris Carter.
A novelization of this episode by Ellen Steiber was released under the title Hungry Ghosts.
Scully interviewing the Hard Faced Man, played by James Hong, is reminiscent of Jerry Hardin (Deep Throat) interviewing Egg Shen in Big Trouble in Little China (1986), which had James Hong as the villain.