Fluoxetine for the treatment of onychotillomania associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder: a case report

Abstract

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a condition in which patients experience an obsession and/or a compulsion. It has a high impact on the quality of life, and is associated with an increased prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in patients. Onychotillomania is an underestimated psychodermatosis caused by repeated self-inflicted damage to the nail unit. In patients, it is characterized by an obsessive or irrepressible impulse to repeatedly damage their own nails, resulting in their destruction. It is a chronic condition that is difficult to manage, largely because of its psychocutaneous character, as well as its high tendency to interact with underlying neuropsychiatric diseases or other behavioral disorders. Only a few studies have reported an association between obsessive-compulsive disorder and onychotillomania, which typically presents with therapeutic challenges. Cognitive behavioral therapy, physical-barrier approaches, and pharmaceutical treatments have been reported to be beneficial in the management of onychotillomania; however, no major clinical studies have investigated the effectiveness of these therapies. Onychotillomania remains a clinical and therapeutic issue owing to the lack of evidence-based treatment techniques.

Case presentation: We report a case of an 18-year-old, middle-eastern female patient who developed onychotillomania when she was being treated with paroxetine for obsessive-compulsive disorder and was showing partial improvement. The patient developed side effects from paroxetine, and was switched to fluoxetine. Thereafter, improvement in her obsessive-compulsive disorder was observed, which relapsed when treatment was discontinued. However, the onychotillomania symptoms did not reemerge.

Conclusion: Onychotillomania typically presents both diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Fluoxetine plays an important role in the treatment of onychotillomania and other psychiatric disorders. However, large-scale studies should be conducted before these outcomes can be generalized.

Keywords: Fluoxetine; Focused body repetitive behavior; Nail tic disorders; Obsessive–compulsive disorder; Onychotillomania; Paroxetine.

Fig. 1

Lateral erythematous, swollen, and bleeding nail folds of the big toes

Fig. 2

Distolateral swelling and bleeding indicating ingrowing of the left big toenail