BRIEF REPORTS Hypophosphatemia as Atypical Panic Disorder: A Case Study

Panic disorder is extremely common, affecting 1 to 3 percent of the US population in its fully developed form.l Up to 10 percent of adults experience partial manifestations of panic disorder at some point in their lives.z Frequently the initial symptoms, such as chest pain, dizziness, or paresthesia, are physical, and it can be difficult to decide how aggressively to search for potential biomedical explanations for a symptom once the diagnosis of panic disorder is suspected. In an attempt to balance thorough and conscientious diagnostic testing when intuition suggests the condition is psychogenic, it is not uncommon to do extensive testing before comfortably settling on the diagnosis of panic. This report describes a case of a particularly unusual physical manifestation of panic disorder-hypophosphatemia-and the long road of diagnostic testing traveled before arriving at the appropriate diagnosis and treatment.