Somatization disorder

Somatization disorder is a specific syndrome characterised by: (1)

• multiple somatic complaints
• no organic pathology
• no autonomic overstimulation
• symptoms which have persisted for several years

Onset of a somatization disorder is usually before the age of 30. Thereafter it runs a chronic course with repeated recurrences of symptoms.

The syndrome is also referred to as multiple somatization disorder, St. Louis Hysteria and Briquet's syndrome.

The syndrome was named after Briquet by a group in St. Louis, USA. Briquet was a French physician who in 1859 wrote an influential monograph on hysteria.

Management

• pharmacotherapy with serotonin-reuptake inhibitors appears to be effective for patients with the obsessional cluster of somatoform disorders (2)
• cognitive behaviour therapy be of benefit in patients with somatization disorder (3)

Reference:

1. Kurlansik SL, Maffei MS. Somatic Symptom Disorder. Am Fam Physician. 2016 Jan 01;93(1):49-54
2. Kleinstäuber M, Witthöft M, Steffanowski A, van Marwijk H, Hiller W, Lambert MJ. Pharmacological interventions for somatoform disorders in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014 Nov 07;2014(11):CD010628.
3. Allen LA, Woolfolk RL, Escobar JI, Gara MA, Hamer RM. Cognitive-behavioural therapy for somatization disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Arch Intern Med. 2006 Jul 24;166(14):1512-8.