Croup, a disorder of the anal phase of development. A contribution to our understanding of the psychosexual development of the larynx.
A brief history of croup is presented. The forms of croup under examination are defined with emotional factors at one end of a continuum and viral and traumatic factors at the other. The complexity of the disorder and its peculiar clinical characteristics are explained. Some of these characteristics are: (1) the predominant 1-3-year age range, which corresponds to the anal stage of development; (2) the relief afforded by vomiting; (3) the occurrence of attacks at night and during sleep, (4) the relative dryness of the cough and its harsh metallic quality; (5) the frequent presence of a ticklish, irritating sensation in the throat; and (6) the presence of edema and/or laryngospasm. Three case vignettes are presented. These cases support a previously developed theory concerning the impulses and defenses underlying the croup attack. Croup is seen as a fixation at the oral level with a regression to that level in the face of conflicts of the anal or sometimes the oedipal stage. The psychosexual development of the larynx is discussed.
Eisner
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Child and Adolescent Division, Institute of Philadelphia Association for Psychoanalysis, USA.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003440:Croup / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007830:Larynx / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011573:Psychoanalytic Interpretation; D011574:Psychoanalytic Theory; D011606:Psychosexual Development; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology