Hypochondriasis and its relationship to obsessive-compulsive disorder

Hypochondriasis, a disorder characterized by intrusive fears of illness and the failure to be reassured after checking with a physician, is considered an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder. The different presentations of hypochondriasis, some of which are like obsessive-compulsive disorder and others of which are more like depression or phobic disorders, are reviewed. The clinical course, comorbidity profile, family studies, and treatment response also are reviewed. Although a subgroup of patients with hypochondria clearly share many features in common with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the errant studies, however limited, suggest that the larger domain of hypochondriasis shares more in common with somatization disorder or generalized anxiety disorder than with obsessive-compulsive disorder.