Intolerance of short arm cast wear by patients with claustrophobia: case report

We describe 4 recent patients with latent claustrophobia who presented with dissatisfaction about their short arm casts days after cast application. Although their initial reports of uneasiness did not seem unusual, these patients continued to describe intense squeezing of their hands, excessive tightness, and feelings of being trapped or confined in a manner outside the normal spectrum of patient discomfort. There were no objective findings on cast removal and recasting, but severe subjective symptoms persisted until cast removal.