Stewart D E, Raskin J
CMAJ. 1985 Nov 15;133(10):1001-6.
"Twentieth-century disease", or "total allergy syndrome", is a condition attributed to hypersensitivity to the environment that may sometimes be seen as so serious that the patient is incapable of living in the modern world. Although the popular media frequently carry stories about it, there is little scientific literature. It is diagnosed by clinical ecologists, who maintain, among other theories, that susceptible individuals experience an overload in assaults by artificial materials in the environment. The patients usually have multiple ill defined symptoms for which no organic cause can be found, but they vigorously resist psychiatric referral, as they attribute their symptoms to allergy. A group of 18 patients who were purportedly suffering from 20th-century disease were referred to a university psychiatric consultation liaison service. They virtually all had a long history of visits to physicians, and their symptoms were characteristic of several well known psychiatric disorders. The case histories and management of three of them are presented. Although this group of patients may have been atypical in that they had more severe psychologic symptoms, the experience indicates that a psychiatric diagnosis ought to be considered. The symptoms of 20th-century disease have much in common with other conditions known to physicians for centuries.
“20世纪疾病”，或“全身过敏综合征”，是一种归因于对环境过敏的病症，有时可能被视为非常严重，以至于患者无法在现代社会生活。尽管大众媒体经常报道有关它的故事，但相关科学文献却很少。它由临床生态学家诊断，他们在其他理论中认为，易感个体在环境中受到人造物质的侵袭时会经历负荷过重。患者通常有多种不明症状，找不到器质性病因，但他们强烈抵制精神科转诊，因为他们将自己的症状归因于过敏。一组据称患有20世纪疾病的18名患者被转介到一所大学的精神科会诊联络服务处。他们几乎都有长期看医生的历史，其症状是几种知名精神疾病的特征。现介绍其中三名患者的病历及治疗情况。尽管这群患者可能不具代表性，因为他们有更严重的心理症状，但该经历表明应考虑进行精神科诊断。20世纪疾病的症状与医生们几个世纪以来所熟知的其他病症有很多共同之处。
