[Cenesthetic schizophrenia revisited].
BACKGROUND
In 1957 Huber introduced the concept ‘cenesthetic schizophrenia', a subtype of schizophrenia that is characterised primarily by aberrant bodily sensations. Clinical practice shows that patients with schizophrenia frequently suffer from disturbed bodily sensations. Nevertheless, the current 1CD-10 en DSM-IV classifications pay hardly any attention to symptoms of this kind.


OBJECTIVE
To describe the characteristics of cenesthetic schizophrenia.


METHODS
We obtained background information from historical literature and the PubMed database. We also report a case-study in which a patient experienced atypical physical symptoms which closely resembled those that characterised Huber's cenesthetic schizophrenia.


RESULTS
Huber's description led to new insights into the development and course of schizophrenia where the main focus was on the patient's subjectively experienced symptomatology. Both the background literature and the case-study show that the time has come for a revaluation of cenesthetic schizophrenia.


CONCLUSIONS
We recommend that cenesthetic schizophrenia be included as a subtype within the spectrum of schizophrenia. Further longitudinal research is needed into other characteristics of this type of schizophrenia, its etiopathogenesis and the currently available therapeutical options.
Universitair Centrum Sint-Jozef te Kortenberg, afdeling ouderenpsychiatrie. tomuyttendaele@gmail.com
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D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology