Am J Psychiatry 1986; 143:626-629
Copyright © 1986 by American Psychiatric Association
Is Briquet's syndrome a heterogeneous disorder?
B Liskow, E Othmer, EC Penick, C DeSouza and W Gabrielli
A structured interview that identified 78 female psychiatric outpatients as
having Briquet's syndrome also indicated that 77 of the 78 fulfilled
inclusive diagnostic criteria for one or more other psychiatric syndromes.
If, as this finding suggests, Briquet's syndrome represents a heterogeneous
disorder, its various components should be evaluated and patient responses
to treatments should be assessed. Until such studies are done, the general
and psychiatric physician should be aware that the diagnosis of Briquet's
syndrome does not rule out the possibility of other psychiatric illnesses
that may be more amenable to treatment.
