Narváez HE, Ramiro MÉ, Magallanes RAG, Guerra BBY, Torres HCL

Language: Spanish
References: 8
Page: 8-11
PDF size: 186.19 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Background: Halitophobia is a condition in which the patient refers bad breath despite the fact that is not being corroborated by third parties and that there is no clinical evidence of any conditions that would favor it. This causes anxiety to the patient.
Objectives: To determine that the halitosis should be addressed on a multidisciplinary basis and to establish that halitophobia should be a diagnosis of exclusion.
Material and methods: In this descriptive study, the clinical features of five patients referred to the Otolaryngology department claiming halitosis were observed; no conditions favorable to halitosis were found nor was it corroborated by a third party. The Odontology and Gastroenterology departments previously assessed all patients finding no possible pathological causes of halitosis. All patients referred anxiety and intense tongue brushing in their effort to diminish their perceived halitosis. All patients were sent to the Psychology department.
Results: All the patients were diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, 3 patients abandoned treatment, and 2 patients required treatment with sedatives prescribed by Psychiatry and reported improvement in their anxiety and the ending of their perception of halitosis.
Conclusions: It is important to consider Halitophobia as a diagnosis of exclusion in patients referring halitosis not corroborated by third parties and when no organic condition favoring its appearance is found.

REFERENCES

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