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[Psychogenic cough: Another etiology for persistent cough].
A Bordoy1, O Sardón, J L Mayoral
1Unidad de Neumología, Hospital Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain. aneumoin@chdo.osakidetza.net
Anales De Pediatria (Barcelona, Spain : 2003)
|July 2, 2004
Summary
Psychogenic cough, often overlooked, can mimic difficult asthma or persistent cough in children. Recognizing this condition and providing psychopedagogic support leads to favorable outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Child Psychiatry
Context:
- Persistent cough and difficult-to-manage asthma are common in children.
- Standard diagnostic methods often fail to identify the underlying cause.
Purpose:
- To highlight psychogenic cough as a differential diagnosis in pediatric cases.
- To emphasize the importance of psychiatric evaluation for unexplained persistent respiratory symptoms.
Summary:
- Six children (7-12 years) with persistent cough/difficult asthma showed no organic findings.
- Psychiatric evaluation revealed generalized anxiety disorder and lower-normal IQ, leading to a psychogenic cough diagnosis.
- Treatment with relaxation and psychopedagogic support yielded positive results.
Impact:
- Suggests including psychogenic cough in the differential diagnosis for persistent cough and difficult asthma in children.
- Aims to prevent misdiagnosis and inappropriate long-term treatments.
- Highlights the link between psychological factors and respiratory symptoms in pediatric patients.