Somatization disorder (Briquet's syndrome) in a male veteran

The authors present here a case of somatization disorder in a heterosexual male veteran. The age at onset of 7 years is the earliest yet reported in a male. Extensive medical records provide a unique opportunity to follow the course of a relatively severe case of this condition and demonstrate that it fulfills the most rigorous diagnostic criteria that have been formulated. Yet, the case of Orville N is more than a lengthy list of medically unexplained symptoms, showing as it does a number of other features traditionally associated with the broad category of hysterical psychopathology.