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Persistent, unwanted erections in an 8-year-old boy.
John H Montgomery1, David A Waller, Roger Robinson
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas, USA. jmontgo651@yahoo.com
Psychopathology
|April 8, 2003
Summary
Unwanted penile erections are rare in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This case study details an 8-year-old boy with OCD and posttraumatic stress disorder who experienced this symptom and showed improvement with sertraline and therapy.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Psychiatry
- Neuropsychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Unusual somatic preoccupations are recognized in somatoform disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
- Penile erections as an OCD symptom are exceptionally rare, with only two adult cases previously documented.
- This highlights a potential underrecognition of specific somatic symptoms within pediatric OCD.
Observation:
- An 8-year-old boy presented with unwanted penile erections.
- The patient also exhibited other obsessive-compulsive symptoms and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- This presentation met diagnostic criteria for both OCD and PTSD.
Findings:
- The patient received a combination treatment of sertraline, individual play therapy, and family therapy.
- Following treatment, the patient reported a modest improvement in symptoms related to both OCD and PTSD.
- This suggests a potential therapeutic benefit of combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy for this rare presentation.
Implications:
- This case expands the understanding of rare somatic presentations in pediatric OCD.
- It underscores the importance of considering a broad range of symptoms in diagnosing childhood OCD and PTSD.
- The findings suggest that combined treatment approaches may be effective for complex pediatric cases involving comorbid disorders and unusual symptoms.