2817 – Pica: nosographical and psychopathological aspects

Abstract

In published studies, clinical explanations about Pica are limited to examine diagnostic pattern or to underline relation with other psychopathological problems, ignoring the dynamic development of the illness. Considering that a definition of general psychopathology needs to respect the specific characteristics of single cases, we studied the anamnesis and the physic exam of a woman, that we saw in outpatient regimen, showing a Pica, associated to a OCD. The Authors, after examining a clinical case of OCD, associated to Pica syndrome, analyse psychopathological development of the symptomatology in its complex, refuting some statements of published studies, that include Pica within obsessivecompulsive disorder spectrum. On the contrary, they think the coexistence of the two symptomatologies simply as an expression of a comorbidity. So, we thought a more careful knowledge in psychic development of the examined woman, and her life events, would let us perform a more appropriate psychopathological evaluation, and perhaps a different diagnostic assessment. We knew, than, that it surely would not be a single case to enlighten us for a new aetiological hypothesis about Pica. We were also interested in understanding better why it seemed too restrictive circumscribing this problem within obsessive syndromes. From these remarks, we think it right to include Pica syndrome within eating disorders, with a particular element, related to the ingestion of non edible substances. Our task is not only to label symptoms, but above all to understand, because it is only from a right comprehension that can result a therapeutic response suitable and effective.