Factitious Disorder Presented by Haematemesis / Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (FDIA): A Case Report

Factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA-DSM-5), formerly known as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSP) is a form of child abuse. A case can be recognised by only keeping the relevant diagnoses in mind. There are many cases of FDIA diversified by the contributions of both the caregiver and the child. Most of these cases are complicated by the difficulty of accurately determining the relative roles of the parent and the child and their levels of awareness and motivation. Here, we present the case of an 11-year old girl admitted to our hospital with the complaint of haematemesis 6-8 times a day. A case of factitious disorder was considered following the physical and psychological examinations on the patient. Evaluating the case within this context suggested a case of FDIA by drawing attention to the continuity of the symptoms described in the patient with the those of the caregiver. In approaching cases of FDIA, unravelling the interdependence of the dynamics of different awareness levels of feigning and motivation by the caregiver and the child is very crucial. Considering the variations in the process of FDIA development through interweaving of the motivations of the mother and child, the case presented here is believed to bring a different point of view that will contribute to the understanding of the nature of this disorder.