Obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders: effective treatment with paroxetine.

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether, like pure obsessive-compulsive disorder, obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders are treatable with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

METHOD: Case histories of patients prescribed paroxetine for compulsive collecting, skin-picking, and trichotillomania were reviewed.

RESULTS

All patients were successfully treated with paroxetine.

CONCLUSIONS

Obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders may share a serotonin-related dysfunction, and SSRIs may prove effective in their treatment.