Chronic factitious illness: recognition and management of deception

Factitious disease is often manifested in the head and neck region. It is only when the oral and maxillofacial surgeon is aware of the existence of this syndrome and has been unable to correlate a patient's history and signs and symptoms with known diseases that factitious illness may be suspected as the diagnosis. Three case histories that help to demonstrate the variety of ruses used by patients to feign illness are presented. The expertise of a psychiatrist will often help to substantiate the diagnosis, but in many instances the main aspects of treatment will remain in the hands of the original clinician. It is important for clinicians to realize that patients with chronic factitious illness are extremely manipulative and unwilling to admit to their fabrications.