OBJECTIVES To study potentially traumatic events (PTE), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, somatization and post-migration living difficulties (PMLD) in primary care immigrants. DESIGN Patients self-rated transculturally validated questionnaires. Those with and without PTSD were compared on all variables. The influence of the number of PTE and of PMLD on PTSD was meas...

Somatization in children consists of the persistent experience and complaints of somatic distress that cannot be fully explained by a medical diagnosis. Working at the Psychophysiological Department at the University Clinic we are dealing with more than 100 children per year manifesting this kind of disorders. The aim of this article is to summarize some specific characteristics of the somatofo...

OBJECTIVE There are no previous studies using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans in somatization disorder (SD) patients. The aim of this paper is to assess SPECT imaging abnormalities in SD patients and study any relation to laterality. METHOD Eleven SD patients from the Somatization Disorder Unit of Miguel Servet University Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain, not fulfilling crit...

The role of post-migration living difficulties (PMLD) on somatization was studied in 101 first generation immigrants visited in primary care. Premigratory traumas and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were also assessed. About one third of patients somatized. Sociodemographic variables were similar in somatizers and non-somatizers. Premigratory traumas, PTSD and the likelihood to report at ...

OBJECTIVE This paper reviews the published literature on the pharmacologic management of somatoform disorders. METHODS Using Medline, the author identified all articles published between 1970 and 2003 on this topic, selecting the best-designed studies for inclusion. RESULTS The review reveals that patients with the obsessional cluster of somatoform disorders (hypochondriasis and body dysmor...

Thyrotoxic Periodic Paralysis (TPP) is a rare and life threatening condition commonly occurring in young Asian males. It is characterized by acute paralytic attacks and hypokalemia in association with thyrotoxicosis. Serum potassium levels may be normal in rare cases of TPP. The diagnosis of normokalemic TPP may be overlooked and/or delayed in most cases. Here, we describe a 32-year-old Iranian...

This article reviews the research evidence for the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for somatoform disorders. Randomized controlled studies support the efficacy of individual CBT for the treatment of hypochondriasis, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), and undifferentiated somatoform disorders including medically unexplained symptoms, chronic fatigue syndrome, and noncardiac chest pai...

OBJECTIVE medically unexplained symptoms are common and associated with mental illness in various contexts. Previous studies show that Latin American populations are prone to somatization. Given the reformulation of the International Classification of Diseases towards its 11th edition the peculiarities of the population from this region of the world shall be taken into consideration. The object...