Hypochondriasis is one of the most characteristic psychopathological entities related to the disturbance of the body image, which is the result of complicated identifications with damaged internal objects. Transient hypochondriacal states frequently appear during periods of huge changes, such as phases of bodily growth. They often manifest themselves in adolescence which is the most favourable period for them to appear. The bodily part or function that has changed, and which was initially experienced as threatening or foreign, needs time and experience to become integrated into the total representation of the body. A case example is presented here and implications for child psychotherapy are discussed.