The Relationships of Stress to Angioneurotic Edema:

Abstract

Hereditary angioneurotic edema is a disease characterized by attacks of swelling of the extremities, face, and airways, frequently accompanied by abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting and nausea. The possibility of improving the management of hereditary angioneurotic edema through psychological interventions was raised by the fact that stress has been implicated as a potential precipitant for acute attacks as well as a common psychological sequala to them. The current case evaluates efficacy of Psychological interventions in reducing the frequency and intensity of symptoms associated with this disorder in a 16-year-old white female. The combination of family therapy and behavior management was more successful than an initial effort utilizing stress management techniques in combination with positive reinforcement alone.