Somatoform salivary complaints. Case reports.

ABSTRACT

Patients with salivary gland complaints are seen with a large array of signs and symptoms. Usually these patients have an underlying pathophysiological process that can account for their symptoms. However, in a significant number of patients, no known biological process can be found that would account for the patient's complaint. In such cases, somatization is a possible cause. Somatization is a frequently cited feature of patients with various forms of mental illness. In this paper, we will attempt to illustrate the classic signs of a somatoform disorder in three different patients whose diverse salivary complaints fulfill the criteria for a diagnosis of somatoform disease.