Background: In 1957 Huber introduced the concept ‘cenesthetic schizophrenia', a subtype of schizophrenia that is characterised primarily by aberrant bodily sensations. Clinical practice shows that patients with schizophrenia frequently suffer from disturbed bodily sensations. Nevertheless, the current 1CD-10 en DSM-IV classifications pay hardly any attention to symptoms of this kind.
Aim: To describe the characteristics of cenesthetic schizophrenia.
Method: We obtained background information from historical literature and the PubMed database. We also report a case-study in which a patient experienced atypical physical symptoms which closely resembled those that characterised Huber's cenesthetic schizophrenia.
Results: Huber's description led to new insights into the development and course of schizophrenia where the main focus was on the patient's subjectively experienced symptomatology. Both the background literature and the case-study show that the time has come for a revaluation of cenesthetic schizophrenia.
Conclusion: We recommend that cenesthetic schizophrenia be included as a subtype within the spectrum of schizophrenia. Further longitudinal research is needed into other characteristics of this type of schizophrenia, its etiopathogenesis and the currently available therapeutical options.