入院治療を要した口臭症 (自己臭恐怖症) の1例

抄録

The authors employed behavior restriction therapy for a 19-year-old female delusional halitosis patient under hospitalization. She had been complaining of halitosis for 4 years and visited several psychosomatic specialists. She had also been hospitalised in a psychiatric ward for treatment but her complaints of halitosis had not been reduced. She gave up high school and tended to stay indoors.
We started by using the description of impressions and prescribed her amitriptyline as an outpatient. Symptoms such as delusion of reference or depression were ameliorated and she became fairly cheerful. But her poor social adaptation hindered her from forming a full social identity.
We introduced her to behavior restriction therapy upon her admission to our hospital. Under condition of general social deprivation, she experienced many warm emotional exchanges with other inpatients, and gradually gained confidence in personal relations. We also administerated fluvoxamine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The fluvoxamine was as effective as amitriptyline, and fewer side effects were observed. Finally, she became able to talk with others and go out freely, in a manner suited to her age.
It is suggested that behavior restriction therapy was useful in this case.