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www.PRSJournal.com 462
B
ody dysmorphic disorder is a relatively com-
mon and often severe psychiatric disorder
that is possibly underdiagnosed and under-
reported.
1,2
According to the Diagnostic and Statisti-
cal Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition), body
dysmorphic disorder is characterized by a preoccu-
pation with one or more perceived defects or laws
in physical appearance that are not observable
or appear slight to others, and repetitive behav-
iors (e.g., mirror checking, excessive grooming,
skin picking, reassurance seeking) or mental acts
(e.g., comparing his or her appearance with that
of others) in response to appearance concerns. It
causes clinically signiicant distress or impairment
in important areas of functioning, and its symp-
toms are not better explained by normal concerns
with physical appearance or by concerns with
body fat or weight in individuals meeting diagnos-
tic criteria for eating disorders. Body dysmorphic
disorder symptoms may be associated with mus-
cle dysmorphia, and body dysmorphic disorder
Disclosure: The authors have no financial interest
to declare in relation to the content of this article.
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Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons
DOI: 10.1097/01.prs.0000475753.33215.8f
Maria José Azevedo de
Brito, Ph.D.
Fábio Xerfan Nahas, M.D.,
Ph.D.
Táki Athanássios Cordás,
M.D., Ph.D.
Hermano Tavares, M.D.,
Ph.D.
Lydia Masako Ferreira,
M.D., Ph.D.
São Paulo and Pouso Alegre, Brazil
Background: Body dysmorphic disorder may negatively affect self-perception
of body shape and lead patients to seek cosmetic surgery. This study estimates
the level of body dissatisfaction and prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder
symptoms in candidates for three plastic surgical procedures.
Methods: Three hundred patients of both sexes divided into three groups
(abdominoplasty, n = 90; rhinoplasty, n = 151; and rhytidectomy, n = 59) were
classiied as having (n = 51, n = 79, and n = 25, respectively) or not having
(n = 39, n = 72, and n = 34, respectively) body dysmorphic disorder symptoms,
based on the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Examination, which was administered
preoperatively.
Results: Prevalence rates of body dysmorphic disorder symptoms in the
abdominoplasty, rhinoplasty, and rhytidectomy groups were 57, 52, and
42 percent, respectively. Signiicant between-group differences were observed
regarding age (p < 0.001), body mass index (p = 0.001), and onset of body
dysmorphic disorder symptoms (p < 0.001). Within-group differences in body
dysmorphic disorder severity were observed in the abdominoplasty (p < 0.001),
rhinoplasty (p < 0.001), and rhytidectomy (p = 0.005) groups. Body dysmorphic
disorder severity was signiicantly associated with degree of body dissatisfac-
tion (mean Body Dysmorphic Disorder Examination total scores; p < 0.001),
avoidance behaviors (p < 0.001), sexual abuse (p = 0.026), suicidal ideation
(p < 0.001), and suicide attempt (p = 0.012).
Conclusions: Abdominoplasty candidates showed the highest prevalence; rhyt-
idectomy candidates exhibited the highest percentage of severe cases, and rhi-
noplasty candidates had the lowest percentage of severe cases. (Plast. Reconstr.
Surg. 137: 462, 2016.)
From the Graduate Program in Translational Surgery and
the Division of Plastic Surgery, Federal University of São
Paulo; the Department of Psychiatry, University of São
Paulo; and the College of Health Science, Sapucaí Valley
University.
Received for publicaton February 23, 2015; accepted
September 17, 2015.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Patients Seeking
Abdominoplasty, Rhinoplasty, and Rhytidectomy
COSMETIC