title: Jiko-shisen-kyofu (fear of one's own glance), but not taijin-kyofusho (fear of interpersonal relations), is an east Asian culture-related specific syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  According to the DSM-IV-TR, the concept of taijin-kyofusho (fear of interpersonal relations) is both unique to East Asia and a culture-bound syndrome. In the indigenous diagnostic classification system in Japan, taijin-kyofusho consists of four subtypes, i.e. sekimen-kyofu (phobia of blushing), shubo-kyofu (phobia of a deformed face/body), jiko-shu-kyofu (phobia of one's own foul body odour), and jiko-shisen-kyofu (phobia of one's own glance). Each subtype except for phobia of one's own glance can be adequately assigned to a respective existing category in the DSM-IV-TR. The aim of the study was to introduce clinical features of phobia of one's own glance to western psychiatrists.
  
  
  METHODS
  Description of a series of cases with jiko-shisen-kyofu (phobia of one's own glance).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All of our cases shared the unique feature that they suffered from the preoccupation that their own glance was offensive to others, and as a result were socially withdrawn themselves.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To our best knowledge, no cases with a clear picture of phobia of one's own glance have been reported in the West to date. The controversial issue of the classification of phobia of one's own glance as an east Asian culture-related specific syndrome was addressed.
authors.affiliation: Osaka-Hamamatsu Joint Research Centre for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Handayama, Shizuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuhide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Katsuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Nori
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.forename: Timothea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toulopoulou
authors.forename: Kenji J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takagai
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oshiro
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology*; D003469:Culture; D005202:Asia, Eastern; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013577:Syndrome; D014796:Visual Perception