An 11-year-old girl with up to 19,200 coughs per day: broadening therapeutic strategies.
An 11-year-old girl was transferred to the Universidad de Chile Clinical Hospital after 2.5 months of persistent and unresponsive treatment for coughlike spasms. On arrival, the frequency of symptoms was 1 cough every 4 s, which disappeared during sleep. A multidisciplinary examination excluded allergic, viral, respiratory, epileptic, and other more usual causes of similar conditions. Two diagnoses (psychogenic cough and transient vocal tic disorder) and a mixed intervention were proposed leading to resolution in 12 days of treatment. No recurrence of symptoms was observed during several evaluations within 12 months of medical follow-up. An association between the 2 diagnoses is proposed and discussed.
a Section of Immunology, HIV, and Allergy , Universidad de Chile Clinical Hospital , Santiago , Chile.
Aaron A
AA
Cortes
Macarena
M
Landaeta
Carlos
C
Silva
D002648:Child; D003371:Cough / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D013981:Tic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors
psychogenic cough; single-case experiment; somatoform; tic disorder