[Sick building syndrome or fungal allergy? When houses cause illness]

In modern societies, the sick building syndrome (SBS) is a very common building-related complex of unspecific symptoms affecting groups of persons. Most frequently, complains include irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract that are believed to be related to negative ambient factors at the workplace. The etiology is multifactorial. In persons showing typical anxiety about the environment, SBS may also be considered a variant of a somatoform disorder. SBS must be clearly differentiated from building-related illness. Diagnostic measures and therapeutic implications are discussed.