phenylephrine-hydrochloride and Trichotillomania

To describe a different type of self-injurious behavior that may be secondary to body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).. Single case report.. We reported a case of an individual who have developed the self-destructive habit of pulling and severely scraping hairs and debris out of the mucous membrane of his nasal cavities. We have proposed the term rhinotrichotillomania to emphasize the phenomenological overlapping between trichotillomania (TTM) and rhinotillexomania (RTM) exhibited by this case. The main motivation behind the patient's actions was a distressing preoccupation with an imaginary defect in his appearance, which constitutes the core characteristic of BDD. The patient was successfully treated with imipramine.. The case suggests that certain features of TTM, RTM, and BDD may overlap and produce serious clinical consequences. Patients with this condition may benefit from a trial of tricyclics when other effective medications, such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, are not available for use.

Topics: Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; Adult; Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; Body Image; Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders; Humans; Imipramine; Male; Nose; Somatoform Disorders; Terminology as Topic; Treatment Outcome; Trichotillomania

Rhinotillexomania is a recent term coined to describe compulsive nose picking. There is little world literature on nose-picking behavior in the general population.. We studied nose-picking behavior in a sample of 200 adolescents from 4 urban schools.. Almost the entire sample admitted to nose picking, with a median frequency of 4 times per day; the frequency was > 20 times per day in 7.6% of the sample. Nearly 17% of subjects considered that they had a serious nose-picking problem. Other somatic habits such as nail biting, scratching in a specific spot, or pulling out of hair were also common; 3 or more such behaviors were simultaneously present in 14.2% of the sample, only in males. Occasional nose bleeds complicating nose picking occurred in 25% of subjects. Several interesting findings in specific categories of nose pickers were identified.. Nose picking is common in adolescents. It is often associated with other habitual behaviors. Nose picking may merit closer epidemiologic and nosologic scrutiny.

Topics: Adolescent; Age Factors; Comorbidity; Data Collection; Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders; Female; Habits; Humans; India; Male; Motivation; Nose; Prevalence; Psychology, Adolescent; Sex Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Students; Surveys and Questionnaires; Trichotillomania