Asneezia-a medically unexplained symptom and abnormal illness behavior : review of literature and a case report

الملخص EN

Objective : Asneezia, absence of sneezing or inability to sneeze, is presented here as a form of abnormal illness behavior.

A symptom of indeterminate value, and a medically unexplained symptom, asneezia can cause tremendous distress to the person, and become a burden on the health services.

Method : A case report is presented here, along with the assessment of abnormal illness behavior and psychological assessment of the patient.

Results : Asneezia is reported to be associated with depressive disorders, and, here, in association with obsessive compulsive disorder and dysthymia.

Conclusions : Asneezia, as a medically unexplained symptom, can lead to hypochondriacally concern and disease conviction, and manifest as abnormal illness behavior.