Body dysmorphic disorder and other psychiatric morbidity in aesthetic rhinoplasty candidates

Abstract

Background: Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric disorder characterised by the patient's preoccupation with an imagined defect in his or her physical appearance. Subjects with BDD often seek cosmetic surgery; however, the outcome of surgery is usually not satisfactory. The aim of current study was to investigate the prevalence of BDD among the patients seeking cosmetic surgery.

Method: In a cross-sectional study, 306 patients referred to cosmetic surgery clinics were recruited. Two psychiatrists detected BDD by interviewing the patients using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fourth edition Text Revision (DSM IV-TR) criteria. Data analysis was done in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) using the t-test and the Mann-Whitney test for numeral variables and the chi-square and Fisher's exact tests for nominal variables.

Results: Data analysis of demographics showed that 80% of patients were female. Analysis on disease-related variables showed that 126 (41%) of patients had an associated psychiatric disorder. Moreover, 75 patients (24.5%) fulfilled the DSM IV criteria for BDD.

Conclusion: Findings from this study support earlier studies, which found that BDD is a relatively common disorder among individuals seeking aesthetic surgery, in particular in rhinoplasty patients. Preoperative psychiatry assessment recommends avoiding subsequent risk for both patients and surgeons.