Somatization symptoms are related to right-hemispheric primary brain tumor: a population-based prospective study of tumor patients in northern Finland.
BACKGROUND
Somatization symptoms have been found to be early symptoms of tumor among brain tumor patients.


OBJECTIVE
The authors followed patients through diagnosis of brain tumor and subsequent surgery.


METHODS
Patients with a supratentorial tumor were given repeated measurements for somatization with the Crown-Crisp Experiential Index.


RESULTS
Before tumor operation, the patients with a tumor in the right hemisphere had significantly higher somatic anxiety scores than those with a tumor located in the left hemisphere. The specific symptoms were dizziness and palpitation among patients with a right hemispheric tumor.


CONCLUSIONS
It is important to remember possible very unusual causes behind somatization symptoms.
Mainio
Arja
A
Oulu University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, P.O. Box 26 90029 OYS, Oulu, Finland. arja.mainio@oulu.fi
Hakko
Helinä
H
Niemelä
Asko
A
Koivukangas
John
J
Räsänen
Pirkko
P
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric