PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

We give a description of a 59 year old man who sought cosmetic medical treatment of his congenital, psychologically distressing ptosis at the age of 45. After successful correction of the defect he developed severe symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). The person concerned underwent a psychological assessment including questionnaires, structured interviews and in-depth exploration. There was no indication of significant depressive symptoms under medication with Mirtazapin although the patient still reported severe general psychopathological distress. The global self-esteem was average. Additional nonappearance-related social fears were nonexistent. Remarkable were the attributed relevance of the outer appearance and the self-evaluative salience of body image. The case history corresponds with an integrative model of BDD which postulate psychological factors as the primary factors of influence for getting and maintaining BDD.