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Pain insensitivity in schizophrenia

1990; Elsevier BV; Volume: 12; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0163-8343(90)90050-m

1873-7714

Stephen H. Rosenthal, Kathaleen A. Porter, Barbara J. Coffey,

Pathogenesis and Treatment of Hiccups

We describe a schizophrenic man whose lack of pain and related objective signs of a perforated small bowel led to a delay in diagnosis and surgical intervention. A review of the literature suggests that both psychodynamic and specific biologic factors can produce atypical presentations in psychotic patients with illnesses in which pain is characteristically a prominent presenting symptom. While research into the cause of altered pain perception in psychotic patients is continuing, clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion of serious medical illness when evaluating such patients.