Tomophobia, the phobic fear caused by an invasive medical procedure - An emerging anxiety disorder: A case report

Abstract

Introduction. Tomophobia refers to fear or anxiety caused by forthcoming surgical procedures and/or medical interventions. Case presentation. We present the case of a 69-year-old Caucasian man who refused urgently indicated medical intervention because of severe tomophobia. Conclusion. Due to the rising number of surgical interventions in modern medicine, as well as the high number of unrecognised cases of tomophobia, this common but underdiagnosed anxiety disorder should be highlighted. © 2009 Schmid et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.