[Psyche and skin (author's transl)]

Abstract

The important psychological functions of the human skin - the skin functions as a border, contact and sense organ and as an organ of expression - as well as causalgenetic aspects of psychodermatology and the most important psychodermatological diseases are reported. Frequent psychosomatic dermatoses like chronic urticaria (bibliography), pruritus (case report, perioral dermatitis and alopecia areata (case reports) are described. In atopic dermatitis, psoriasis vulgaris and acne rosacea psychological factors are involved in addition to constitutional factors. Psychovegetative dermatoses can be due to situational problems (stress), but dermatologic symptoms may also have a mere appellant character (e.g. slight effluvium). Dermatologic symptoms may occur in connection with psychoses (e.g. parasitophobia). Psychic dermatologic symptoms may also arise secundary to severe chronic dermatoses. In psychoneurotic diseases such as dermatitis arterficialis skin is the target organ. Therapeutical aspects are considered.