Pseudologia fantastica à deux: review and case study

While lying is a diachronic integral part of human interaction, pseudologia fantastica represents probably its psychopathological dimension. There are relatively few reported cases on psychological mechanisms of pathological lying and also on criteria concerning psychopathological development on a ground of lying. A review of literature on possible psychological mechanisms of pseudologia fantastica is presented. Psychopathological qualities are rather controversial, especially whether pathological lying is a conscious act or not. DSM IV-TR recognizes pseudologia fantastica in association with factitious disorder but not as a clinical entity. Diagnostic issues are raised regarding lying, deception, pseudology and its shared dimension. Cases of shared pseudology are rarely reported in literature. Related shared psychopathological phenomena such as pseudologia à deux, folie à deux and mass hysteria are equally examined and compared under the prism of 'mental infection'. Cases of pseudologia fantastica are poorly understood or underecognized and clinicians usually pay minor attention in its psychopathological significance. It remains doubtful, whether pathological lying should be considered as an autonomous clinical entity. The need for research both on phenomenology and pathophysiology is emphasized. In addition to reviewing literature, we also report a case of pseudology à deux in a couple, a female and a male patient. Presented psychopathological manifestations, personality characteristics, psychological and social factors concerning both patients are considered, aiming to determine a sufficient phenomenological analysis. The diagnoses of pseudologia fantastica and folie à deux are discussed and documented. A second axis diagnosis of personality disorder and other diagnostic issues are also considered. A favorable issue of this case, within a follow up of one year, is due to the therapeutic and social potential of a community psychiatry's setting, offering an individual follow up to both partners and a family approach including the ex husband of the female patient and her two minor children. The presented case focuses on a notably rare and controversial form of pathological lying, pseudologia fantastica à deux, and possible underlying mechanisms.