Factitious disorder (Munchausen's syndrome) in oncology: case report and literature review

Self-mutilation: a systematic review

Self-mutilation lesions can represent a clinical diagnosis challenge for healthcare professionals, as patients do not admit to self-mutilation. This leads to failed diagnoses due to the similarity of this condition to other diseases. Searches on the subject were carried out at the PubMed, Periódicos Capes, Scopus, Science Direct and WoS databases, according to the following inclusion criteria: articles in English, Portuguese or Spanish, published from 2018 to June 2023, encompassing case reports, case series and literature reviews. Men are slight more affected by self-mutilation injuries, also presenting the most serious lesions. Self-mutilation injuries are reported globally, mostly in the Asian and American continents. Clinical presentations are varied, but morphology is, in most cases, associated to the form/instrument used for self-mutilation. Greater evidence of diagnosed mental disorders in women and underreporting of these cases in men due to low demands for specialized treatment are noted. A higher prevalence of self-mutilation lesions was verified for men, affecting a wide age range, with the highest number of cases in the USA. The most affected body areas are arms and external genitalia, mostly due to knife use. An association between self-mutilation injuries and mental disorders is clear, with most cases being previously undiagnosed.

Early death in Munchausen syndrome: A case report

This case contributes to raising awareness and understanding of the complex clinical presentations of Munchausen syndrome (MS). Education of staff to the seriousness and genuineness of this disorder should be implemented, especially in hospital units, in order to detect such complex clinical situations quickly and accurately, preventing iatrogenic risks.

"Impossible" patients in oncology: Two unusual cases

OBJECTIVE

Cancer patients can present with impossible behavior, which can jeopardize their treatment and challenge healthcare professionals' teamwork.

METHOD

Report of two unusual psychiatric cases, including Munchausen and Peter Pan syndromes, which occurred in a comprehensive cancer center.ResultGuidelines in medical and surgical wards are suggested to address such situations regarding oncologic compliance.Significance of resultsMultidisciplinary collaboration between medical and surgical teams and the psycho-oncologic department is highly recommended.

The Wandering Woman: A Case Study of Catatonia vs Factitious Disorder

A 61-year-old woman with an unknown psychiatric history presented with mutism, stupor, negativism, and withdrawn behavior. She was admitted to the psychiatric unit for what appeared to be catatonia. Medical records were not readily available. A comprehensive evaluation did not uncover any medical etiology. Lorazepam was ineffective at consistently reversing her catatonic symptoms. During week three of hospitalization, she was given olanzapine with subsequent improvement in her negativism. Several physicians believed her catatonic symptoms were feigned given multiple episodes of spontaneous purposeful movement when she was not under the direct supervision of staff. There is minimal literature on distinguishing catatonia and factitious disorder. This distinction is crucial because these diagnoses require very different treatments, and the iatrogenic complications related to the treatment of catatonia with high-dose benzodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy are significant. Rapid access to electronic health records can facilitate treatment for patients who cannot provide a medical history, especially when factitious disorder is included in the differential diagnosis.

Evaluation of Migraine Surgery Outcomes through Social Media

BACKGROUND

Social media have been used to study many aspects of health and human behavior. Although social media present a unique opportunity to obtain unsolicited patient-reported outcomes, its use has been limited in plastic and reconstructive surgical procedures, including migraine nerve surgery. The goal of this study was to utilize the most popular social media site, Facebook, to evaluate patients' experience with migraine surgery.

METHODS

Six months of data regarding nerve surgery, nerve stimulators, and radiofrequency nerve ablation were collected from posts and comments written by members of 2 Facebook groups. Outcomes were classified by degree of resolution of symptoms.

RESULTS

A total of 639 posts related to migraine surgery. Of 304 posts commenting on postoperative success of nerve surgery, 16% reported elimination of headaches and 65% significant improvement (81% with complete or significant improvement), 5% partial improvement, 11% no change, and 3% worsening symptoms. Nerve surgery had a higher success rate than nerve stimulators and radiofrequency ablation. Nerve surgery was recommended by 90% of users.

CONCLUSIONS

The 81% rate of complete or significant improvement of symptoms in this study is close to the 79% to 84% shown in current literature. Similar to the findings of a recent systematic review, surgery is more efficacious compared with nerve stimulators and ablation. This study adds to evidence favoring migraine surgery by removing evaluator bias and demonstrates that surgical outcomes and satisfaction data may be obtained from social media.