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Clinical features of multiple chemical sensitivity
1Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine (MYMUS), Centre for Preventive Medicine, Ullevål University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a phenomenon, not a distinct illness, lacking diagnostic tests. Symptoms may stem from various factors including solvent exposure and psychosocial stressors, indicating potential underlying conditions.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Medicine
- Environmental Health
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is often self-diagnosed and lacks objective physiological correlates.
- Patient histories frequently include allergies, asthma, and other reported illnesses.
- Clinical ecologists are sometimes involved in the diagnosis of MCS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report on patient experiences with chemical intolerance in an occupational medicine setting.
- To investigate the characteristics and potential causes of symptoms reported by patients with MCS.
- To evaluate the diagnostic specificity of MCS symptomatology.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of patient cases presenting to an occupational medicine department.
- Analysis of patient-reported exposures, medical history, and psychosocial factors.
- Clinical assessment of mood disorders and somatic symptoms.
Main Results:
- Over 80% of patients presenting with chemical intolerance were women.
- Solvent exposure was the most frequently reported cause of chemical intolerance.
- Patients frequently reported psychosocial stressors and exhibited mood disorders like anxiety and depression.
Conclusions:
- The symptomatology of MCS is nonspecific and not diagnostic of a specific illness or syndrome.
- MCS may indicate other underlying organic diseases or psychopathology.
- Further investigation is needed to differentiate MCS from other medical and psychiatric conditions.