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Conversion reaction presenting as acute spinal cord injury.
The Medical Journal of Australia
|September 29, 1984
Summary
Conversion reaction, mimicking spinal cord injury, affected 9.8% of new patients. This diagnosis is challenging, but patients recovered fully, walking independently without sensory deficits upon hospital discharge.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Conversion reaction can mimic acute spinal cord injury.
- Accurate diagnosis is challenging, even for specialists.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of conversion reaction presenting as spinal cord injury.
- To describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients with this condition.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of new patients admitted to a spinal injury unit.
- Data collection on demographics, medical history, and clinical outcomes.
Main Results:
- 9.8% of new spinal injury patients were diagnosed with conversion reaction.
- The affected group comprised eight males and one female, mean age 23 years.
- Previous conversion reaction episodes and vertebral damage were noted in some patients.
Conclusions:
- Conversion reaction is an important differential diagnosis in acute spinal cord injury presentations.
- Despite diagnostic challenges, patients with conversion reaction show favorable outcomes with full recovery.