Charakterisierung von Patienten mit umweltbezogenen Gesundheitsstö rungen an einer dermatologisch-allergologischen Klinik

Background: "Eco-Syndrome", "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity" (MCS) or "Idiopathic Environmental Intolerances" (IEI) are terms used to describe a complex of heterogeneous physical symptoms, characterized by a group of individuals with hypersensitivity phenomena attributed by themselves to various environmental noxious agents. Method: Between 2001 and 2006, 87 patients suffering from the illness were continuously recruited out of a collective of patients in a consultation-hour for environmental related health disorders in the Department of Dermatology and Allergy Biederstein, TU München. A descriptive analysis and statistical evaluation was performed using an environmental questionnaire as well as additional previous clinical findings and investigations considering especially dermatologicalallergological aspects. Results:The sample of patients contained mainly middle-aged females with a high social standard. The health complaints were acquired, chronic and caused a high subjective psychological strain. In most cases the duration of the illness was over 5 years, the symptoms presented especially on weekdays, throughout working hours and in closed rooms. Thereby various organ systems were compromised. The complaints were attributed to not verifiable exposures caused by various environmental noxious agents. Overall no characteristic symptom pattern and no relation between the main complaints and the assumed noxious agents could be found for the phenomena MCS/IEI. Conclusions: Close cooperation between dermatologists respectively allergologists and physicians specialized in focusing on psychosomatic medicine is extremely important for this group of patients.