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OCD and transvestism: is there a relationship?
C H Abdo1, A Hounie, M de Tubino Scanavino
1Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.
Objective:
There have been reports of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients with comorbid paraphilias. In this paper, two cases of comorbidity between OCD and transvestism are reported with the aim of discussing possible explanations for this association.
Method:
Longitudinal case studies of two patients with OCD and tranvestism according to the DSM-IV were assessed using semi-structured interviews.
Results:
Both patients presented with OCD and comorbid transvestism with different clinical features and treatment response. The case whose cross-dressing was more egodystonic responded better to treatment.
Conclusion:
It is possible that some cases of transvestism are OCD-related while others are more related to a gender identity disorder. A dimensional approach focusing on common phenomenological and neurobiological substrates is suggested as particularly useful for clinical management and future research of both disorders.