Otolaryngologic cases of Munchausen's syndrome

Münchausen syndrome (MS) is now a well recognized and demonstrated entity. This syndrome is characterized by patients who seek hospitalization and present factitious but usually well-rehearsed histories and symptoms. Five cases of MS, genuine by their ear-nose-throat-maxillofacial factitious signs, are presented. Two of the cases are related to the uncommon MS by proxy. In this subentity the parents fabricate pathological signs for their children. The psychodynamics and the clinical symptoms of our cases are described and the differential diagnoses of malingering, conversion disorders, and hypochondriasis are brought to attention.