[Psychogenically induced sighing attacks in a 9-year-old girl (with remarks on the physiopathology of sighing)].
A case report about psychogenic sighing attacks in a 9 year old girl, which made school attendance and living at home impossible, is presented. Subsequently a review of the literature is given. Sighing was previously regarded as a ventilatory disorder. The author disagrees with this concept and presents evidence indicating that psychogenic sighing should be regarded as a phoniatric disorder e.g. laughing and weeping and not as a ventilatory disorder.