Resolution of pathological identification between mother and son following rhinoplasty

The case here described shows that severe psychological disturbance can be caused by identification between mother and son, resulting in preoccupation with a part of the body, which in the opinion of those outside the relationship, shows no gross abnormality. Similar delusional beliefs to those held by the mother were induced in the son, when he reached the age at which these beliefs occurred in the mother, in whom they were incompletely resolved. Plastic surgery, in the absence of gross deformity, brought relief of the distress caused by this type of psychopathology. Relief occurred in the conflicts of both mother and son, even though operation was on the latter, only.