[Artifactual illness in plastic surgery]

The therapy of factitious disorders is a challenge for the treating surgeon. Only a clear understanding of the underlying causes and a good doctor-patient relationship make a successful outcome possible. Discussion about a confrontation of the patient with the diagnosis and the best made of treatment is still in progress. Early diagnosis and the cooperation between surgeons and psychiatrists are the most important parts of dealing with factitious disorders. This article gives an overview of symptoms and therapies. Six case reports demonstrate possibilities of the disorder's appearance.