Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) or idiopathic envi-
ronmental intolerances (IEI) (also called ‘eco-syndrome’)
describes a syndrome of somatic and/or psychosomatic
complaints of mostly subjective nature, attributed to en-
vironmental noxious agents. We report the case of a 58-
year-old woman with a long-lasting history of hypersen-
sitivity phenomena and manifold symptoms which she
believed to be provoked by environmental influences.
Thorough and interdisciplinary diagnostics including ex-
tensive allergological testing procedures (provocative
tests) revealed both somatic diagnoses (contact allergy,
pseudo-allergic reactions, sicca syndrome, liver steato-
sis, porokeratosis superficialis disseminata actinica) as
well as psychiatric diagnoses (predisposition to depres-
sion). Some symptoms improved in the course of the
disease. The basis for successful ‘management’ of these
patients is co-operation between allergists, specialists in
the relevant field, and psychiatrists or psychologists