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[Clinical features and psychopathology of factitious disorders]

Frédéric Limosin1, Jean-Yves Loze, Frédéric Rouillon

  • 1Hôpital Albert-Chenevier, 40, rue de Mesly, 94000 Créteil. frederic.limosin@wanadoo.fr

Annales De Medecine Interne
|March 1, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Factitious disorders involve self-created symptoms and chronic illness, often with complications. Key diagnostic clues include unusual symptom presentation and a history of varied, imprecise diagnoses.

Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry
  • Psychopathology

Context:

  • Factitious disorders present with self-produced symptoms and a chronic, complicated course.
  • Pathomimia is more common in women, while Munchausen syndrome is more prevalent in men.

Purpose:

  • To outline the diagnostic features and psychopathology of factitious disorders.
  • To explore the relationship between factitious disorders and comorbid personality traits.

Summary:

  • Common presentations include factitious fevers and cutaneous pathomimia, as well as factitious psychiatric conditions like psychotic symptoms or PTSD.
  • Diagnostic indicators involve odd symptom expression, erratic disease progression, and a history of multiple, vague diagnoses.
  • Unlike malingering, the motivation is not immediate gain but to challenge the physician, with links to hysterical personality (pathomimia) and antisocial personality (Munchausen syndrome).

Impact:

  • Enhances understanding of the diagnostic challenges posed by factitious disorders.
  • Provides insights into the psychological motivations and personality correlates of these conditions.
  • Aids clinicians in recognizing and differentiating factitious disorders from other conditions.

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