Munchausen syndrome (fabricating illness)
About Munchausen syndrome (fabricating illness)
Repeated fabrication of symptoms and complaints that mimic disease for the purpose of gaining medical attention. Many patients wander from hospital to hospital feigning acute medical or surgical illness and give false information about their medical and social background for no apparent reason other than to gain attention. These patients can experience significant adverse effects from the medical tests and surgical procedures performed.Symptoms
Multiple physical complaints, multiple different presentations to different medical facilities, frequent changing of physicians.Tests & Diagnostics
A history and physical exam will be performed. A review of a patient's medical history will reveal an inordinate amount of medical testing with no diagnosis ever confirmed.Conventional treatment summary
Once confronted with the diagnosis, patients almost always move on to another health care setting. Ideally, they might benefit from long term psychologic and psychiatric therapy.Medical specialties
Internal Medicine · Psychiatry · Pediatrics · Family Practice · Pediatric and Adolescent Psychiatry
This page is educational content, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis and treatment of Munchausen syndrome (fabricating illness).