2013 Volume 123 Issue 1 Pages 25-31
We examined the psychosomatic peculiarities of 1,458 female patients frequenting our ambulatory clinic between 2004 and 2010. Among 3,414 diagnoses, 37.3% had eczema/dermatitis, (344 cases of atopic dermatitis, 228 of asteatotic eczema, 81 of hand eczema, 74 of seborrheic dermatitis, and 305 cases of other eczemas). Furthermore, there were 17.2% with skin-appendage disorders (442 cases of acne, 47 of alopecia areata, and 44 of rosacea-like dermatitis). We diagnosed 23.9% of all patients with psychosomatically induced skin ailments (129 atopic dermatitis cases, 48 acne, 47 other eczemas, 27 urticaria). The main stressors could be classified according to the DSM-IV/4th axis in 79.4% of psychosomatic cases (42.3% occupational troubles, 35.5% family-related problems; the major factors were interpersonal relationships). The 21–39 yr group had mainly occupational problems, but the 40–59 yr group suffered mainly from family-related problems. The 20.6% if stressors not covered by DSM-IV were non-dermatological somatic ailments, mental afflictions, and inadequate interpersonal coping with unclear stressors. Among our female patients, psychosomatic skin ailments are not unusual. Ideally, we try to grasp what stresses these patients and, at the same time, to give them the ability to cope with the stress, especially to become more skillful in interpersonal relations. In our opinion, parallel psychosomatic approaches should be used.
