Fabricated or Induced Illness Presenting as Recurrent Corneal Lesions, Cataracts, and Uveitis

Two siblings with ophthalmic findings, psychomotor retardation, somnolence, and seizures underwent diagnostic studies, genetic investigations, ultrasonography, biomicroscopy, and posterior and anterior optical coherence tomography. Both siblings experienced eye problems at different times from the age of 6 months to 12 years. The family pedigree and neurological problems (ie, hypotony, seizures, sleepiness, and speech and psychomotor delay) suggested a metabolic or mitochondrial pathology. After exclusion of multiple potential diseases, a fabricated or induced illness was suspected. Fabricated or induced illness can be a cause for unusual clinical findings and should be considered in the differential diagnosis when ocular and other abnormalities cannot be explained after a comprehensive evaluation. The diagnosis of fabricated or induced illness should not be based on exclusion alone but rather on positive findings.