title: The influence of reduction mammaplasty on dermato-psychiatric disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Macromastia can cause psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and depression, and decreases in self-esteem and self-confidence. These problems often externalize themselves on the skin, causing lesions characterized by various degrees of excoriations and lichenified plaques. Mammaplasty operations are very effective in the treatment of neurotic excoriations and similar skin lesions as well as any underlying psychiatric disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 17 patients with macromastia and neurotic excoriation lesions who underwent psychiatric treatment for various reasons. Follow ups were performed using routine photographs used in breast surgeries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the postoperative follow ups, the excoriations for nearly every patient healed within 2 weeks. Some lesions healed with atrophic scars and some with permanent hyperpigmentation. Patients' physical complaints, such as backache, shoulder ache and submammary pruritic dermatitis, were also observed to heal. In addition, the patients stated that they felt better psychologically, and most also reported stopping psychiatric treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The psychological problems caused by macromastia include neurotic excoriation and similar skin problems, and aesthetic reduction mammaplasty surgeries are very effective in the treatment of these lesions. Body image perception comprises an important part of self-respect and self-esteem, and psychological-status cosmetic surgery can be evaluated as an alternative to psychological treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cemal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Firat
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Erbatur
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet Hamdi
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Aytekin
keywords: Aesthetic surgery; Macromastia; Neurotic excoriation; Psychiatric disorders; Reduction mammaplasty