First-episode olfactory hallucination in a patient with anxiety disorder: A case report

Background Olfactory hallucination refers to olfactory perception in the absence of chemical stimuli. Although it has been associated with many neurological and psychotic disorders, it has rarely been reported as the first and only symptom in patients with anxiety disorder, and its treatment remains...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inFrontiers in psychiatry Vol. 13
Main Authors Jiang, Xingmei, Yuan, Yiwen, Li, Zhixiong, Ou, Ying, Li, Zhe
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Frontiers Media S.A 20.09.2022
Subjects
anti-anxiety treatment
anxiety disorder
case report
first-episode
olfactory hallucination
Psychiatry
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Summary:Background Olfactory hallucination refers to olfactory perception in the absence of chemical stimuli. Although it has been associated with many neurological and psychotic disorders, it has rarely been reported as the first and only symptom in patients with anxiety disorder, and its treatment remains inadequate. Case summary A 66-year-old woman who had been experiencing gradually worsening olfactory hallucinations for almost 4 years was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. Olfactory hallucination disappeared after treatment with anti-anxiety drugs. Conclusion Olfactory hallucination can be the first and only symptom in patients with anxiety disorder and may be effectively treated with anti-anxiety medication. In fact, it can precede the diagnosis of anxiety disorder by several years.
Bibliography:Edited by: Antonio Bulbena, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
This article was submitted to Anxiety and Stress Disorders, a section of the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry
Reviewed by: Domenico De Berardis, Mental Health Center (CSM) and Psychiatric Service of Diagnosis and Treatment (SPDC), Italy; Nevzat Tarhan, Üsküdar University, Turkey
ISSN:1664-0640
1664-0640
DOI:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.990341