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Scholars Journal of Applied Medical Sciences | Volume-3 | Issue-03
Somatization in Mastalgia Patients: Is there a Relationship between Mastalgia and Somatization Symptoms?
Agah Bahadir.Ozturk, Onder Tugal, Yarkin Ozenl
Published: May 25, 2015 |
187
90
DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2015.v03i03.018
Pages: 1121-1125
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Abstract
Somatization can be defined as the physical complaints and symptoms that cannot be explained through
physical findings and examinations. In the illnesses in which pain remains at the forefront, the manifestation of the
emotions by means of symbolic body language can cause somatization. Benign breast pain is a common problem;
reported prevalence range from 41% to 69%. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between mastalgia and
somatization symptoms. This study included 116 patients with non-organic breast pain admitting to the General Surgery
Breast Clinic of Adana Numune Education and Research Hospital from February 2012 to February 2013. The control
group included 105 healthy volunteers. Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Symptom
Checklist Revised-90 (SCL-90-R) and Somatization Dissociation Scale (SDQ) were used to assess the psychiatric
symptoms of the patients. When we consider about the BDI and HAM-A test, there was no significant between the
patient and control groups. The somatization subscale scores showed significant difference between the patient and
control groups (2.12±0.87; 0.91±0.55, respectively) (p<0.001). There was a significant increase in SDQ scores in the
patient gruop (30.02±7.50; 22.74±4.01, respectively) (p<0.001). In the mastalgia patients in whom no organic ethiology
was determined, somatization findings and levels were found high in accordance with the normal ones. These findings
might indicate that mastalgia patients need a multi-discipline approach including psychiatric treatment.