Multidisciplinary management of dystonia misdiagnosed as hysteria

Dystonia in the pediatric age group can be confused with hysteria, particularly when it occurs in an emotionally disturbed child with a negative family history of dystonia. A 20-year-old girl with a 12 year history of DMD is described. From age 12 to 17 she was housed in a mental institution after a misdiagnosis of hysteria was made. The progressive nature of DMD and the important emotional components are stressed. The multidisciplinary management model is discussed as a valuable method in the treatment of this chronic neurological disorder.