[Panic attacks and cardiac phobia].

In this study 36 patients with cardiac phobia were examined prior to hospitalisation and 29 of them were re-examined after 2.5 years. An analysis of the clinical pictures showed that all of the patients met the DSM III criteria for panic disorder. The follow-up results indicated that the anxiety attacks often recurred despite treatment; on the other hand, the patients felt significantly less threatened by the symptoms and consequently showed less help-seeking behaviour. The attack symptomatology was characterized by a uniform picture and thus played, at best, a limited role in predicting the course of the illness. According to DSM III cardiac phobia is listed under the somatoform disorders as hypochondriasis; this seems to be an unfortunate decision and ought to be revised.