Urinary tract infection complicated by urine retention presenting as pseudocyesis in a schizophrenic patient

Pseudocyesis is a rare condition wherein a nonpregnant woman shows signs and symptoms of pregnancy, such as abdominal enlargement, breast enlargement, pigmentation, cessation of menses, subjective sensation of fetal movement and labor pains at the expected delivery date. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision, it is classified as a somatoform disorder, characterized by a false belief of being pregnant that is associated with objective signs of pregnancy. We report the case of a middle-aged female schizophrenic patient who developed pseudocyesis secondary to a urinary tract infection complicated by acute urine retention. The patient accepted that she had pseudocyesis after the causative medical condition resolved.