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Factitious Disorder/Münchausen Syndrome Updated 4/2011

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BASICS

  • Description
  • Epidemiology
  • Risk Factors
  • Etiology
  • Associated Conditions

DIAGNOSIS

  • Signs and Symptoms
  • Tests
  • Differential Diagnosis

TREATMENT

  • Additional Treatment
  • In-patient Considerations

Ongoing Care

  • Prognosis
  • Complications
The following is an excerpt....
BASICS

Description
  • Patients appear ill because they are feigning, exaggerating, or inducing symptoms.
  • A mental disorder because the patient has an abnormal need for a sick role. Patients are aware of but will deny their deceit.
  • Becomes apparent when there is a disease history stated in absence of symptoms, when symptom patterns are puzzling, or when there are nonhealing or unremitting symptoms despite adequate and correct treatment
  • In factitious disorder by proxy, or Munchausen by proxy, an individual falsifies or induces illness in another person to vicariously accrue emotional payoffs, including sympathy, admiration, and/or feelings of power over care providers. Children are the usual victims and the mother is the usual perpetrator. The updated term for this activity is ...

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See Also
Images >
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FIG. 26.6. Radiographic findings of child abuse. A: Multiple skull fractures in an infant. B: Left humeral fracture and multiple old healing rib fractures. C: Left femoral fracture and metaphyseal chip avulsion fractures of the right distal femur. D: Healing fracture of the right femur with callus formation and new periosteal bone formation. E: "Bucket-handle" deformity of healing distal tibial epiphyseal fracture. F: Bone scan shows multiple areas of increased uptake caused by trauma. Some of these areas appeared normal on the original radiographs.Credit: From Fleisher GR, MD, Ludwig S, MD, Baskin MN, MD. Atlas of Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2004.