Abstract
The diagnosis of major depression and anxiety disorders depends on structured interviews using the DSM-IV or ICD-10. It is quite common for patients with somatic disorders to have psychiatric disorders. However, the diagnosis of such disorders is often difficult because of the lack of objective diagnostic criteria. We accidentally found teleangiectasia of the manubrialis externa artery in several patients. The subjects were 17 patients with major depression, 12 with anxiety disorders, and 22 normal controls. Otoscopic photographs were taken of their bilateral tympanic membranes. The objective evaluation of teleangiectassia was conducted by three examiners. There was a statistically significant difference between subjects with major depression and the normal controls (p ‹ 0.01), as well as between subjects with anxiety disorders and normal controls (p ‹ 0.00001). Teleangiectasia of the manubrialis externa artery might be an objective indicator for the diagnosis of major depression and anxiety disorders.
