Somatoform disorders and the subtypes: do differences exist?

Background: Psychiatric diagnoses, especially somatoform disorders, are based on phenomenology, i.e. the subjective experience of the symptoms by the patient. The concept of “medically unexplained symptoms” (MUS) is now getting away with much focus on the symptoms per se rather than its explanation by some medical illness. Aim of the study: To study the symptom profile of somatoform disorders and to see its variability in relation to different subtypes of the disorder. Materials and methods: Hundred consecutive patients of somatoform disorders, diagnosed clinically based on the tenth revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) criteria, were chosen after applying various inclusion and exclusion criteria.The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) Health Questionnaire N-2 was used to evaluate symptoms of the patients. Data was analysed with chi-square test. Result: Patients of somatization disorder (SD) have significantly higher prevalence of symptoms related to eyes (p=.0412) and higher complaints of hot sensation in the body (p=.0007)as compared to undifferentiated somatoform (UD) disorder and other somatoform disorders. Hypochondriacal ideas are significantly less in UD and SD. Conclusion: Although traditionally, subtypes of somatoform disorders are supposed to have differences in the phenomenology, there is considerable overlap between them in clinical practice. It may mean that all somatoform disorders are virtually same and there may be no need to have many subtypes.