| Abstract: |
The somatoform disorders are a group of psychiatric disorders that cause unexplained physical symptoms, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) includes a specific category for somatic symptoms related to psychiatric origins called the somatoform disorders. Specific somatoform disorders include [1] somatization disorder (involving multisystem physical symptoms),[2] undifferentiated somatoform disorder (fewer symptoms than somatization disorder),[3] conversion disorder (voluntary motor or sensory function symptoms),[4] pain disorder (pain with strong psychological involvement),[5] hypochondriasis (fear of having a life-threatening illness or condition),[6] body dysmorphic disorder (preoccupation with a real or imagined physical defect), and [7] somatoform disorder not otherwise specified (used when criteria are not clearly met for one of the other somatoform disorders) .However, somatoform disorders represent a psychiatric condition because the physical symptoms present in the disorder cannot be fully explained by a medical disorder, substance use, or another mental disorder, these somatoform disorder physical complaints challenge medical providers who must distinguish between a physical and psychiatric source for the patient’s complaints, often, the medical symptoms patients experience may be from both medical and a psychiatric illnesses, anxiety disorders and mood disorders commonly produce physical symptoms and these physical symptoms can dramatically improve with successful treatment of the anxiety or mood disorder .These disorders should be considered early in the evaluation of patients with unexplained symptoms to prevent unnecessary interventions and testing. Treatment success can be enhanced by discussing the possibility of a somatoform disorder with the patient early in the evaluation process, limiting unnecessary diagnostic and medical treatments, focusing on the management of the disorder rather than its cure, using appropriate medications and psychotherapy for comorbidities , maintaining a psychoeducational .
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