Is panic disorder a distinct diagnostic entity? A critical review of the borders of a syndrome.

The evidence supporting the existence of panic disorder as a distinct clinical entity is critically examined, as are the current criteria for panic disorder in DSM-III. It is argued that the current definition of a panic attack is imprecise and that the borders and overlap of panic disorder with other psychiatric disorders raise broader questions as to what is meant by a distinct psychiatric disorder. DSM-III "panic disorder" defines an ideal type that may be more relevant for research purposes than clinical. In defining fairly homogeneous "pure" cases, it overlooks the prevalence and importance of atypical "mixed" and subsyndromal cases.