Somatoform Disorders Workup

  • Author: William R Yates, MD, MS; Chief Editor: Eduardo Dunayevich, MD   more...
 
Updated: Aug 3, 2010
 

Laboratory Studies

If indicated, specific studies used to rule out somatization due to general medical conditions include the following:

  • Thyroid function studies - Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) at 0.4-10 mIU/L and thyroxine at 5.0-12.5 ng/dL
  • Pheochromocytoma screen - Urine catecholamines, homovanillic acid (HVA) 2-12 mg per 24 hours, vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) 2-7 mg per 24 hours, metanephrines less than 1.6 mg per 24 hours, and norepinephrine plus epinephrine less than 100 mcg per 24 hours
  • Urine drug screen - Including cannabis, amphetamine, hallucinogens, cocaine, opioids, benzodiazepines
  • Blood studies - To screen for occult alcoholism
  • Psychological testing - Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) may provide insight into the likelihood of a somatoform disorder. (Negative MMPI studies should encourage further pursuit of a medical cause for the symptoms.)
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Imaging Studies

  • Imaging studies are not routinely used in diagnosing the somatoform disorders. However, functional MRI may be of use in the diagnosis of some conditions such as unexplained visual loss.
  • Imaging studies may be helpful to rule out unexplained physical symptoms due to a medical disorder.
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Procedures

Avoid invasive diagnostic procedures and aggressive surgical assessment.

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

William R Yates, MD, MS  Research Psychiatrist, Laureate Institute for Brain Research; Professor of Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine at Tulsa

William R Yates, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Family Physicians and American Psychiatric Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Mohammed A Memon, MD  Chairman and Attending Geriatric Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, Spartanburg Regional Medical Center

Mohammed A Memon, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, American Medical Association, and American Psychiatric Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Harold H Harsch, MD  Program Director of Geropsychiatry, Department of Geriatrics/Gerontology, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Department of Medicine, Froedtert Hospital, Medical College of Wisconsin

Harold H Harsch, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Psychiatric Association

Disclosure: lilly Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Forest Labs None None; Pfizer Grant/research funds Speaking and teaching; Northstar None None; Novartis Grant/research funds research; Pfizer Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Sunovion Speaking and teaching; Otsuke Grant/research funds reseach; GlaxoSmithKline Grant/research funds research; Merck Honoraria Speaking and teaching

Chief Editor

Eduardo Dunayevich, MD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati; Clinical Research Physician, Neuroscience, Lilly Research Laboratories

Eduardo Dunayevich, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Psychiatric Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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Somatoform diagnoses in a series of university hospital psychiatric consultations.
 
 
 
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