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Munchausen syndrome

MedGen UID:
44522
•Concept ID:
C0026785
•
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Synonyms: Hospital Addiction Syndrome; Hospital-Addiction Syndrome; Hospital-Addiction Syndromes; Munchausen Syndrome; Munchhausen Syndrome; Syndrome, Hospital Addiction; Syndrome, Hospital-Addiction; Syndrome, Munchausen; Syndrome, Munchhausen; Syndromes, Hospital-Addiction
SNOMED CT: Münchausen syndrome (21586000); Munchausen syndrome (21586000); Münchausen's syndrome (21586000); Peregrinating patient (21586000); Munchausen's syndrome (21586000); Hospital hopper syndrome (21586000)

Definition

A factitious disorder characterized by habitual presentation for hospital treatment of an apparent acute illness, the patient giving a plausible and dramatic history, all of which is false. [from MeSH]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVMunchausen syndrome

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Early recognition and management of fabricated or induced illness in children.
Bass C, Glaser D
Lancet 2014 Apr 19;383(9926):1412-21. Epub 2014 Mar 6 doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62183-2. PMID: 24612863
Dermatitis artefacta. Clinical features and approaches to treatment.
Koblenzer CS
Am J Clin Dermatol 2000 Jan-Feb;1(1):47-55. doi: 10.2165/00128071-200001010-00005. PMID: 11702305
Compliance with treatment in asthma and Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
Godding V, Kruth M
Arch Dis Child 1991 Aug;66(8):956-60. doi: 10.1136/adc.66.8.956. PMID: 1929492Free PMC Article

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

An Overview of Munchausen Syndrome and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.
Abeln B, Love R
Nurs Clin North Am 2018 Sep;53(3):375-384. doi: 10.1016/j.cnur.2018.04.005. PMID: 30100003
Munchausen by internet: current research and future directions.
Pulman A, Taylor J
J Med Internet Res 2012 Aug 22;14(4):e115. doi: 10.2196/jmir.2011. PMID: 22914203Free PMC Article
Intervention.
Jones DP
Child Abuse Negl 1999 Dec;23(12):1341-4. doi: 10.1016/s0145-2134(99)00087-3. PMID: 10626615
Fictitious epilepsy.
Meadow R
Lancet 1984 Jul 7;2(8393):25-8. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)92008-7. PMID: 6145941
The Munchausen syndrome.
Swanson DA
Am J Psychother 1981 Jul;35(3):436-44. doi: 10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1981.35.3.436. PMID: 7294258

Diagnosis

Munchausen Syndrome.
Prabhu A, Abaid B, Sarai S, Sumner R, Lippmann S
South Med J 2020 Apr;113(4):198-200. doi: 10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001079. PMID: 32239233
An Overview of Munchausen Syndrome and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.
Abeln B, Love R
Nurs Clin North Am 2018 Sep;53(3):375-384. doi: 10.1016/j.cnur.2018.04.005. PMID: 30100003
Munchausen Syndrome and the Wide Spectrum of Factitious Disorders.
Tatu L, Aybek S, Bogousslavsky J
Front Neurol Neurosci 2018;42:81-86. Epub 2017 Nov 17 doi: 10.1159/000475682. PMID: 29151093
Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy: a narrative review.
Sousa Filho D, Kanomata EY, Feldman RJ, Maluf Neto A
Einstein (Sao Paulo) 2017 Oct-Dec;15(4):516-521. doi: 10.1590/S1679-45082017MD3746. PMID: 29364370Free PMC Article
Pseudologia fantastica.
King BH, Ford CV
Acta Psychiatr Scand 1988 Jan;77(1):1-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1988.tb05068.x. PMID: 3279719

Therapy

Factitious hypoglycemia in insulin-treated diabetic patients.
Galvez T, Lotierzo M, Conquet G, Verani Q, Aguilhon C, Raingeard I, Cristol JP, Renard E
Ann Endocrinol (Paris) 2023 May;84(3):364-366. Epub 2023 Mar 23 doi: 10.1016/j.ando.2023.03.015. PMID: 36965853
Factitious, or iatrogenic but unexpected Cushing's syndrome.
Cristante J, Chabre O
Ann Endocrinol (Paris) 2023 May;84(3):370-372. Epub 2023 Mar 22 doi: 10.1016/j.ando.2023.03.007. PMID: 36963757
Self-induced dermatoses: A great imitator.
Gupta MA, Gupta AK
Clin Dermatol 2019 May-Jun;37(3):268-277. Epub 2019 Jan 11 doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2019.01.006. PMID: 31178108
Superwarfarin poisoning.
Chua JD, Friedenberg WR
Arch Intern Med 1998 Sep 28;158(17):1929-32. doi: 10.1001/archinte.158.17.1929. PMID: 9759690
Paediatrics--Part II.
Priestley BL, Harrison CJ, Gerrard MP, Gibson A
Postgrad Med J 1993 Apr;69(810):268-81. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.69.810.268. PMID: 8321790Free PMC Article

Prognosis

Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy: a narrative review.
Sousa Filho D, Kanomata EY, Feldman RJ, Maluf Neto A
Einstein (Sao Paulo) 2017 Oct-Dec;15(4):516-521. doi: 10.1590/S1679-45082017MD3746. PMID: 29364370Free PMC Article
Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy in dermatology.
Boyd AS, Ritchie C, Likhari S
J Am Acad Dermatol 2014 Aug;71(2):376-81. Epub 2014 Mar 6 doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2013.12.028. PMID: 24613506
Cardiac Munchausen syndrome.
Mehta NJ, Khan IA
Chest 2002 Nov;122(5):1649-53. doi: 10.1378/chest.122.5.1649. PMID: 12426266
Superwarfarin poisoning.
Chua JD, Friedenberg WR
Arch Intern Med 1998 Sep 28;158(17):1929-32. doi: 10.1001/archinte.158.17.1929. PMID: 9759690
Munchausen's syndrome and other factitious disorders.
Folks DG
Neurol Clin 1995 May;13(2):267-81. PMID: 7643825

Clinical prediction guides

Fabricated or induced illness: From "Munchausen by proxy" to child and family-oriented action.
Glaser D
Child Abuse Negl 2020 Oct;108:104649. Epub 2020 Aug 14 doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104649. PMID: 32805620
Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy: a narrative review.
Sousa Filho D, Kanomata EY, Feldman RJ, Maluf Neto A
Einstein (Sao Paulo) 2017 Oct-Dec;15(4):516-521. doi: 10.1590/S1679-45082017MD3746. PMID: 29364370Free PMC Article
Factitious disorder: a systematic review of 455 cases in the professional literature.
Yates GP, Feldman MD
Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2016 Jul-Aug;41:20-8. Epub 2016 May 12 doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2016.05.002. PMID: 27302720
Factitious disorders and Munchausen syndrome: the tip of the iceberg.
Ferrara P, Vitelli O, Bottaro G, Gatto A, Liberatore P, Binetti P, Stabile A
J Child Health Care 2013 Dec;17(4):366-74. Epub 2013 Feb 14 doi: 10.1177/1367493512462262. PMID: 23411659
Defining malingering.
Gorman WF
J Forensic Sci 1982 Apr;27(2):401-7. PMID: 7047677

Recent systematic reviews

Factitious Disorder (Munchausen Syndrome) in Plastic Surgery: A Systematic Review of 42 Cases.
Evans RL, Tew JC, Yates GP, Feldman M
Ann Plast Surg 2021 Apr 1;86(4):e1-e6. doi: 10.1097/SAP.0000000000002526. PMID: 32804718
The perpetrators of medical child abuse (Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy) - A systematic review of 796 cases.
Yates G, Bass C
Child Abuse Negl 2017 Oct;72:45-53. Epub 2017 Jul 24 doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.07.008. PMID: 28750264
Factitious disorder: a systematic review of 455 cases in the professional literature.
Yates GP, Feldman MD
Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2016 Jul-Aug;41:20-8. Epub 2016 May 12 doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2016.05.002. PMID: 27302720
Otolaryngology fantastica: the ear, nose, and throat manifestations of Munchausen's syndrome.
Alicandri-Ciufelli M, Moretti V, Ruberto M, Monzani D, Chiarini L, Presutti L
Laryngoscope 2012 Jan;122(1):51-7. Epub 2011 Nov 17 doi: 10.1002/lary.22373. PMID: 22095880
Laboratory diagnosis of factitious disorder: a systematic review of tools useful in the diagnosis of Munchausen's syndrome.
Kenedi CA, Shirey KG, Hoffa M, Zanga J, Lee JC, Harrison JD, Preud'homme XA
N Z Med J 2011 Sep 9;124(1342):66-81. PMID: 21963927

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