Body Dysmorphic Disorder: een update voor dermatologen

Patients with body dysmophic disorder (BDD) are obsessed with their appearance. They are preoccupied with defects of their skin or hair loss, while others do not notice any defect or only a small defect. They spend a lot of time and energy camouflaging, checking and comparing to other people. As a consequence, they frequently experience suicidal thoughts and their suicide rate is approximately 45 times higher than in the general population. [1] BDD is a severe and disabling psychiatric disorder, but primarily presents at the departments of (cosmetic) dermatology, plastic surgery and maxillofacial surgery. However, it is frequently not recognized. Early detection and adequate referral of patients is highly needed, because effective pharmacological and psychotherapeutically treatments are available. Therefore, it is essential to have a successful cooperation between dermatologists and psychiatrists who have expertise in BDD.