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Onychophagia as a Spectrum of Obsessive-compulsive Disorder |
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Przemysław Pacan, Magdalena Grzesiak, Adam Reich and Jacek C.
Szepietowski. Onychophagia as a Spectrum of Obsessive-compulsive
Disorder. Acta Dermatovenereol.2009; 89: 278-280
Abstract:
Onychophagia
can be explained as a kind of a compulsion that may cause destruction
of the nails. Habitual nail biting is a common behaviour among children
and young adults. By the age of 18 years the frequency of this
behaviour decreases, but it may persist in some adults. Nail biting is
an under-recognized problem, which may occur on a continuum ranging
from mild to severe. Nail biting has received little attention in the
psychiatric and dermatological literature. Its position in widely
accepted classifications of psychiatric disorders (ICD-10 and DSM-IV)
remains unclear. This disorder seems to be related to
obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder. Here, we present three case
reports of onychophagia and co-occurring psychopathological symptoms
and discuss the close relationship of onychophagia to obsessive-
compulsive spectrum disorder and possible treatment modalities.
Psychiatric evaluation of co-occurring psycho pathological symptoms in
patients with onychophagia, especially those with chronic, severe or
complicated nail biting, may be helpful in making a choice of
individual therapy. Serotonin re-uptake inhibitors seem to be the
treatment of choice in severe onychophagia.
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