Page 104 - JCBP-3-2

Journal of Clinical and

Basic Psychosomatics

CASE REPORT
Hypnosis as an effective psychosomatic

intervention for globus pharyngeus: A case
report

Yorai Ron and Shikma Keller*

Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

Abstract

Globus pharyngeus is a common condition characterized by a persistent or
intermittent sensation of a lump in the throat, affecting 21.5 – 46% of the population.
Its multifactorial etiology includes both physical causes, such as pharyngoesophageal
irritation, and psychological factors, such as anxiety, making it a challenging
condition to treat. This case report examines the phenomenon of globus pharyngeus
and explores the effectiveness of hypnosis as a treatment option. We present the
case of an 18-year-old male who lost nearly 30 kg of body weight due to his reliance
on liquid consumption, as he was unable to swallow solid food because of the globus
sensation. The chosen therapeutic intervention was hypnosis. By the fourth session
of a planned 10-session program, the patient was able to consume solid foods
*Corresponding author: without experiencing the globus sensation and began to regain weight. This case
Shikma Keller
(shikmake@hadassah.org.il) highlights the potential of hypnosis as an effective treatment option in the treatment
of psychosomatic conditions, such as globus pharyngeus.
Citation: Ron Y, Keller S. Hypnosis
as an effective psychosomatic
intervention for globus pharyngeus: Keywords: Hypnosis; Hypnotherapy; Globus pharyngeus; Phagophobia; Globus
A case report. J Clin Basic
Psychosom. 2025;3(2):98-101. hystericus; Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder; Weight loss
doi: 10.36922/jcbp.4944
Received: September 24, 2024
1st revised: November 6, 2024 1. Background
2nd revised: December 8, 2024 Globus pharyngeus, commonly referred to as “globus,” is a persistent or intermittent, non-
Accepted: December 25, 2024 painful sensation of a lump or foreign object in the throat. This condition often manifests
1
2,3
Published online: January 16, through symptoms such as frequent throat clearing, coughing, and hoarseness, and,
2025 in rare cases, phagophobia (fear of swallowing). The lifetime prevalence of globus is
4
1,2
Copyright: © 2025 Author(s). surprisingly high, affecting between 21.5% and 46% of the general population, with its
This is an Open-Access article persistent and recurrent nature making it a challenging condition to manage. 5
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution Historically, globus was considered primarily psychosomatic, originally termed
License, permitting distribution, “globus hystericus” due to its perceived prevalence in anxious women. However, this
and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is terminology has since been revised, as it became evident that the condition affects
properly cited. both men and women equally. The etiology of globus remains elusive and is likely
Publisher’s Note: AccScience multifactorial, with potential causes including pharyngoesophageal inflammation and
Publishing remains neutral with irritation. When no underlying physical cause is identified, psychological factors such
6
regard to jurisdictional claims in 5
published maps and institutional as anxiety and somatization should be considered. The International Classification of
affiliations. Diseases, 10 revision (ICD-10) and the 11 edition (ICD-11) approach the globus
th
th
Volume 3 Issue 2 (2025) 98 doi: 10.36922/jcbp.4944