[Treatment of panic attacks].

Acute anxiety is a common symptom in psychiatric and medical illnesses. Panic attacks i.e. discrete episodes of severe acute anxiety with clear "onset" and "offset" are frequently associated with agoraphobia and respond to tricyclic and MAO-inhibitor antidepressants. These agents appear to have specific antipanic efficacy independent of their antidepressant properties. Despite the frequent association between panic disorder and major depressive illness the nature and the extent of this relationship remain unclear.