Early recognition and management of fabricated or induced illness in children

[Medical Child Abuse - A Guideline to Detecting this Particular Form of Child Maltreatment]

The term Medical Child Abuse (MCA) describes a form of child abuse in which the medical system is "abused" by carrying out unnecessary medical procedures on a child. This abuse of the medical system occurs through misrepresentation, non-disclosure, fabrication, misinterpretation or active causation of symptoms by a parent. In this article, the construct ofmedical child abuse is defined and predisposing and motivational factors are examined. It also provides an overview of terms that are used synonymously or comparably in the literature and discusses the connection between MCA and Munchausen-by-proxy-syndrome.The core of the article is the presentation of an internal guideline, which was created by the interdisciplinary working group on MCA of the Clinics for Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, the Child Protection Outpatient Clinic and the Social Services at the Charité. It also outlines possible interventions.

Medical Child Welfare Task Force: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Identifying Medical Child Abuse

Medical child abuse is a complex form of maltreatment with powerful and long-lasting impacts on the overall health of affected children. The complexity of this condition renders it challenging for clinicians to recognize its presence and intervene appropriately. The failure of medical systems to identify and deescalate care in this form of maltreatment can result in grievous patient harm. Although the medical literature provides limited guidance on how to address these multifaceted cases, several studies advocate for a multidisciplinary approach. Following a severe and chronic case of medical child abuse at our institution, deficits in response became clear within our hospital system. In reaction to these gaps, the Medical Child Welfare Task Force was developed to formalize education and multidisciplinary collaboration around medical child abuse. The support of institutional leadership and the involvement of multiple medical disciplines that commonly encounter these patients was vital to the implementation and long-term success of the endeavor. To facilitate case identification, education was provided to clinicians in a variety of forums. Moreover, we leveraged the electronic medical record to streamline our ability to monitor cases of medical child abuse and communicate the concerns and plan of care to other providers, both within and outside of our health system. A postimplementation survey determined that the establishment of a multidisciplinary team increased provider comfort and skill in identifying and managing cases of suspected medical child abuse.

Recognizing medical child abuse in children presenting with chronic pain

Medical child abuse (MCA), previously referred to as Munchausen by proxy, can present as chronic pain. We report the presentation of five children seeking treatment for chronic pain who we identified as victims of MCA. The index case had essentially not eaten for the 6 years of her life due to alleged allergies to all foods, developed severe pain, used a wheelchair for ambulation beyond a few blocks, and was alleged to have dysautonomia requiring oxygen monitoring at night. Other cases posed as arthritis that resulted in foot amputation and total body pain, fibromyalgia with alleged mutation negative Stickler syndrome who had symptoms only in her mother's presence, severe incapacitating intermittent pains along with abdominal pain that resulted in appendectomy, cholecystectomy, and pancreatectomy, and alleged disabling hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos in a non-hypermobile child for which the mother sought a power wheelchair. The unusual pattern to the pain, the presence of multiple additional, atypical symptoms and diagnoses, and a generally well appearing child are characteristic. The perpetrator is typically over-invested in the symptoms, derives tangible and intangible secondary gain from the child's alleged illnesses, and is able to present the child in such a fashion to enlist the physician to aid in perpetuating the abuse. These children are highly over-medicalized and suffer significant morbidity. Multiple barriers exist to identifying and reporting these children to Child Protective Services, which need to be recognized and overcome in order to protect these vulnerable children.

Difficult diagnosis of factitious disorder

Factitious disorder imposed on another, or medical child abuse, has been rarely reported to have primary ocular presentations. We report an unusual and difficult diagnosis of factitious disorder imposed by a mother on her infant resulting in bilateral blindness. An infant was referred with a history of recurrent periorbital cellulitis and sanguineous discharge associated with seizure-like episodes. Symptoms have been going on for more than 14 months, and child had been treated by different physicians from different specialties without a clear ophthalmic diagnosis. The right eye was previously enucleated at an outside hospital for secondary complications of similar symptoms. He was admitted for exhaustive diagnostic tests and multiple surgical treatments, and his hospital stay was complicated with multiple corneal perforations and apnoeic episodes despite optimal treatment. After suspicion of factitious disease, continuous electroencephalography and video monitoring revealed evidence of the mother inflicting physical harm to her child.

Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP): a review regarding perpetrators of factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA)

Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) is well-known to clinicians, but its usage is discouraged now in favor of other terms placing emphasis on the victim. This study aims to determine the most common characteristics of perpetrators but only in case reports labeled as MSBP, published in PubMed literature in the past 15 years. MSBP has been described as a rare form of abuse due to illness falsification, where the perpetrator usually receives the diagnosis of factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA). We extracted data from 108 articles, including 81 case reports. Almost all perpetrators were female (91% female, 1% female and male, 7% unreported). Twenty-three cases (28%) had a perpetrator with psychiatric diagnosis: factitious disorder imposed on self (10%), depression (9%), and personality disorders (7%). In more than one-third (36%) there was familial conflict or abuse. Fourteen cases (17%) had perpetrators working in healthcare. The most common type of falsification was induction (74%); however, 15% of cases had more than one type of falsification. The most common outcomes were: separation (37%); no follow-up (22%); imprisonment (14%); death of victim (12%); treatment of the perpetrator (10%); continued living together (4%); and suicide of perpetrator (1%). Recurrence was present in more than three quarters of cases. Our results reiterate that awareness of the most common findings in MSBP allows physicians to identify them in a clinical context.

Medical Child Abuse: Essentials for Pediatric Health Care Providers

Medical child abuse (MCA) is a rare but potentially deadly variant of child maltreatment. MCA results in unnecessary health care for a child because of a caregiver's exaggeration, fabrication, or induction of physical and/or psychological symptoms of illness. These unnecessary health care interventions result in a morbidity rate of 100% in the form of complications and disabilities and a mortality rate as high as 9%. Although MCA is relatively rare, it is estimated that pediatric health care professionals, including pediatric nurse practitioners, will most likely encounter at least one MCA victim in the course of their career. This continuing education article will discuss MCA in terms of definition and features, epidemiology, perpetrators, variants in presentation, consequences, and implications for practice.

Complexity of Documentation Needs for Children With Medical Complexity: Implications for Hospital Providers

OBJECTIVES

Care coordination is a core component of pediatric complex care programs (CCPs) supporting children with medical complexity (CMC) and their families. In this study, we aim to describe the purpose and characteristics of clinical care notes used within a pediatric CCP.

METHODS

We conducted observations of provider-family interactions during CCP clinic visits and 5 focus groups with members of the CCP. Focus groups were recorded and transcribed. Field observation notes and focus group transcripts were subjected to qualitative content analyses.

RESULTS

Four major themes help characterize clinical care notes: (1) Diversity of note types and functions: program staff author and use a number of unique note types shared across multiple stakeholders, including clinicians, families, and payers. (2) motivations for care note generation are different and explain how, why, and where they are created. (3) Program staff roles and configuration vary in relation to care note creation and use. (4) Sources of information for creating and updating notes are also diverse. Given the disparate information sources, integrating and maintaining up-to-date information for the child is challenging. To minimize information gaps, program staff devised unique but resource-intensive strategies, such as accompanying families during specialty clinic visits or visiting them inpatient.

CONCLUSIONS

CMC have complex documentation needs demonstrated by a variety of professional roles, care settings, and stakeholders involved in the generation and use of notes. Multiple opportunities exist to redesign and streamline the existing notes to support the cognitive work of clinicians providing care for CMC.

Psychological maltreatment: An international challenge to children's safety and well being

BACKGROUND

Child psychological maltreatment (PM), also known as emotional abuse and neglect, mental violence, and emotional maltreatment, is the least recognized and addressed of the four major forms of child maltreatment.

OBJECTIVES

This article provides an 1) the history of PM and its relationship to children's rights, 2) an overview of the current state of knowledge, 3) implications of diversity for the topic of PM, 4) an example of a topic-relevant intervention, and 5) a vision for further progress in addressing this form of child maltreatment.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS

NA.

METHOD

Literature review, intervention description of fabricated or induced illness, and expert opinion.

RESULTS

PM is directly implicated in seven of the articles of the Convention. PM is common, reliable definitions of PM exist and need to be applied to practice and public health surveillance, harmfulness has been empirically established but is not fully appreciated, and countries vary dramatically in terms of incidence.

CONCLUSIONS

PM is a human rights issue that must be addressed through child protection and promotion of child wellbeing. Adoption of reliable definitions of the different aspects of PM for Child Protective Service practice is a top policy goal. The development of empirically supported curricula on PM for training professionals and parents and culturally sensitive interventions to change social norms on the use of psychologically aggressive disciplinary practices and other forms of PM are critical research needs. Well-validated interventions to support quality parent-child relationships and support families exist and need to be widely adopted. Individual child protective measures should be confined to cases of ongoing serious PM when interventions have failed to reduce harm to the child.

Overmedicalization in Children with Medical Complexity

Children with medical complexity (CMC) are a unique pediatric patient population with increased exposure and interactions with the health care system and reliance on family caregivers. These attributes place CMC at high risk of overmedicalization (OM). This article reviews the risk factors for OM in CMC and presents an algorithm that primary providers can use to recognize and address this issue. Involvement of a broad multidisciplinary team, including child advocacy when needed, is recommended. The article also focuses on challenges and additional considerations that arise when medical child abuse as the cause of OM is suspected in this population. [Pediatr Ann. 2020;49(11):e478-e485.].

Fabricated or induced illness: From "Munchausen by proxy" to child and family-oriented action

BACKGROUND

In fabricated or induced illness (FII), a child is harmed due to caregiver(s) behaviour and actions, carried out to convince mainly doctors that the child's physical and/or psychological health is more impaired than in reality. Harm is caused directly by the caregivers(s) and also often inadvertently by doctors' responses.

OBJECTIVES

To describe: dynamics underlying FII; wider definition of FII; alerting signs for early recognition of possible FII; respective responsibilities of health, social care, education.

METHODS

Literature review, clinical experience, expert opinion.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Caregivers are motivated by gain from having their child treated as ill, and/or by erroneous beliefs about their child's health, either way needing medical confirmation about their contentions. Their behaviour is therefore directed primarily towards doctors. Most cases of FII present unexplained discrepancies between caregiver reports/actions and independent observations of the child. More rarely, the child has actual signs of illness, induced by the caregiver, occasionally fatal. Children are harmed in all aspects of life: health, daily functioning including education, and psychologically. Harm emanates directly from the caregiver(s) but also unintentionally from medical responses. Illness induction and clear deception by the caregiver require immediate child protection. Otherwise, the initial focus is on assessing the child's current health and functioning rather than caregiver's mental health. If, beyond verified illness, there is no medical explanation for the child's reported ill-health, the family require help to function better. This requires co-ordinated, multidisciplinary rehabilitation and long-term monitoring. If caregivers refuse rehabilitation, child protection is required. Several unanswered questions remain.

Munchausen syndrome mimicking refractory subcutaneous abscess with bacteremia, diagnosed by repetitive element sequence-based polymerase chain reaction: a case report

Background

Rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment of Munchausen syndrome is important not only for the patient but also for health care workers because a delay in diagnosis can worsen patients’ clinical outcomes, and result in a substantial medical cost.

Case presentation

A young and previously healthy 24-year-old Japanese woman, a nurse, presented with complaints of refractory abscess on her left upper limb for 3 months. A physical examination on admission revealed low-grade fever and a subcutaneous abscess in her left forearm. Laboratory data suggested mild systemic inflammation and liver dysfunction, but no abnormalities of the immune system, including changes in the number of lymphocytes and neutrophils, neutrophil phagocytic capacity, and natural killer (NK) cell activity, were observed. A human immunodeficiency virus test was also negative. Multiple modalities, including positron emission tomography-computed tomography, failed to detect any cause and focus of infection except her left upper limb. Streptococcus mitis and Prevotella buccae were detected from the wound, but no microorganisms were detected in a blood culture. The cellulitis promptly resolved; however, exacerbation of the subcutaneous abscess with polymicrobial bacteremia repeatedly occurred unexpectedly. Because of this puzzling clinical course, the possibility of self-injury was finally suspected. Three syringes with needles, with a turbid liquid, were found in our patient’s bag. Enterobacter cloacae and Enterococcus faecalis were detected in the liquid, and an analysis via repetitive element sequence-based polymerase chain reaction determined that Enterococcus faecalis in the wound and syringe contents were genetically identical. She was diagnosed as having Munchausen syndrome and treated with the collaboration of a psychiatrist. She finally confessed that she had injected her own saliva and toilet water into the drip line and wound.

Conclusions

This case report is valuable in that it is the first case in which this syndrome was diagnosed by a genetic method. Munchausen syndrome should not be neglected as a possible cause of refractory and recurrent infection.

Disclosure of caregiver-fabricated illness to a child: A team-based approach to communicating with pediatric patients

Clinical practice guidelines for informing children they have been subjected to caregiver-fabricated illness are highly limited in the current literature. This article addresses this issue by offering an ethically informed, psychological approach to the disclosure of this form of abuse to school-aged children and adolescents who have been significantly harmed. A multidisciplinary, staged model of communication which illustrates that truthful communication with children and their families is a necessary component of the recovery process is proposed.

Medical Child Abuse: An Unusual "Source" of Vaginal Bleeding

BACKGROUND

Medical child abuse (MCA) is challenging to diagnose. Although young children are often affected, adolescents can be victims through caregiver coercion. Presentation is highly variable. Diagnosis is essential because of high associated morbidity and mortality.

CASE

We describe the case of a 12-year-old girl who presented to multiple subspecialty clinics with reported menorrhagia. Despite reassuring clinical examinations, the family described menorrhagia that failed to respond to standard treatment. After an urgent evaluation for reported heavy bleeding revealed only scant blood, the diagnosis of MCA was made.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Vaginal bleeding is a rare presentation of MCA, but must be considered whenever reported symptomatology does not follow physiologic patterns, respond to standard medical treatment, or correspond to clinical evaluation. Prompt identification is important to prevent further harm.

An Overview of Munchausen Syndrome and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy are complex diseases that are difficult to diagnose and treat. To assist in this process, an overview of diagnostic criteria with common characteristics and red flags are discussed, with case studies illustrating identification and diagnosis of these disorders. Treatment options are addressed within the context of each of these complex syndromes. The provider's knowledge of diagnostic criteria and treatment options for Munchausen syndrome and Munchausen syndrome by proxy promotes better outcomes for patients. Without an early diagnosis and intervention, the patient is at high risk for severe complications, including organ failure and mortality.

Pediatric Condition Falsification Misdiagnosed by Misjudged Weight Growth from the Curve of Measured Weights

Patient: Male, 0–2

Final Diagnosis: Cow milk allergy

Symptoms: Obstipation • airway infections

Medication: —

Clinical Procedure: Elementary feeding

Specialty: Pediatrics

The role of attachment in medically unexplained symptoms and long-term illness

In this article, we explore the role of attachment in the development of medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) and response to physical illness. We review the evidence that attachment insecurity is common in people with different forms of MUS and certain long-term physical conditions. We discuss a possible developmental model for understanding how MUS develop. We conclude with discussion of potential therapies and implications for services.

The perpetrators of medical child abuse (Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy) - A systematic review of 796 cases

INTRODUCTION

Little is known about the perpetrators of medical child abuse (MCA) which is often described as "Munchausen's syndrome by proxy" or "factitious disorder imposed on another". The demographic and clinical characteristics of these abusers have yet to be described in a sufficiently large sample. We aimed to address this issue through a systematic review of case reports and series in the professional literature.

METHOD

A systematic search for case reports and series published since 1965 was undertaken using MEDLINE, Web of Science and EMBASE. 4100 database records were screened. A supplementary search was then conducted using GoogleScholar and reference lists of eligible studies. Our search yielded a total sample of 796 perpetrators: 309 from case reports and 487 from case series. Information extracted included demographic and clinical characteristics, in addition to methods of abuse and case outcomes.

RESULTS

Nearly all abusers were female (97.6%) and the victim's mother (95.6%). Most were married (75.8%). Mean caretaker age at the child's presentation was 27.6 years. Perpetrators were frequently reported to be in healthcare-related professions (45.6%), to have had obstetric complications (23.5%), or to have histories of childhood maltreatment (30%). The most common psychiatric diagnoses recorded were factitious disorder imposed on self (30.9%), personality disorder (18.6%), and depression (14.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

From the largest analysis of MCA perpetrators to date, we provide several clinical recommendations. In particular, we urge clinicians to consider mothers with a personal history of childhood maltreatment, obstetric complications, and/or factitious disorder at heightened risk for MCA. Longitudinal studies are required to establish the true prognostic value of these factors as our method may have been vulnerable to publication bias.

[Factitious disorders]

Patients with factitious disorders intentionally fabricate, exaggerate or feign physical and/or psychiatric symptoms for various open and covert psychological reasons. There are many issues regarding the diagnostic state and classification of factitious disorders. Both the categorical differentiation of and clinical continuum ranging from somatoform/dissociative disorders to malingering are being controversially debated. Epidemiological studies on the frequency of factitious disorder meet basic methodological difficulties. Reported rates of prevalence and incidence in the professional literature most probably have to be considered underestimations. Illness deception and self-harm as core features of the abnormal illness behaviour in factitious disorder may refer to various highly adverse and traumatic experiences during early development in a subgroup of patients. Chronic courses of illness prevail; however, there are also episodic variants.

Munchausen by proxy syndrome mimicking systemic autoinflammatory disease: case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAIDs) represent a growing number of monogenic, polygenic or multifactorial disorders that are often difficult to diagnose.

CASE PRESENTATION

Here we report a patient who was initially erroneously diagnosed and treated for SAID. Symptoms consisted of recurrent fever, erythematous and/or blistering skin lesions, angioedema, susceptibility to bleeding, external ear infections and reversible anisocoria in the absence of laboratory evidence of systemic inflammation. After two and a half years of extensive diagnostic work-up and multiple empirical therapies, a final diagnosis of Munchausen by proxy syndrome (MBPS) was established.

CONCLUSIONS

The diagnosis of SAID needs to be carefully reassessed if measurable systemic inflammation is missing, and MBPS should be included in the differential diagnosis.

The Intersection of Medical Child Abuse and Medical Complexity

Children with medical complexity and victims of medical child abuse may have similar clinical presentations. Atypical or unexplained signs and symptoms due to rare diseases may lead providers to suspect medical child abuse when not present. Conversely, medical child abuse may be the cause of or coexist with medical complexity. Careful consideration of whether or not medical child abuse is present is essential when assessing a child with medical complexity since either diagnosis has significant consequences for children and families.

Caregiver-Fabricated Illness in a Child: A Case Report of Three Siblings

Caregiver-fabricated illness in a child is a form of child maltreatment caused by a caregiver inducing a child's illness, leading to unnecessary and potentially harmful medical procedures and treatments. This condition can result in significant morbidity and mortality. We present the case of three siblings in Tunisia who were poisoned with chloralose by their own mother. The symptoms that the children presented with led to misdiagnoses, which resulted in the death of two of the children. Characteristics of the clinical presentation are articulated, followed by a discussion of the legal measures that apply to the offender and the role of physicians, nurses, and medicolegal experts involved in such a complex medical situation.

[Recurrent fevers in childhood]

Recurrent fevers are defined as multiple stereotypical febrile episodes separated by spontaneous symptom-free intervals and occurring for months and years. Hereditary recurrent fevers are rare prototype Mendelian diseases due to inherited mutations in genes encoding partners of the innate immunity. Recurrent episodes of fever plus acute features of inflammation starting during childhood with family history are the main clues for suspecting HRF. Their common associated complication is AA amyloidosis. The diagnosis is made on clinical grounds but the genetic diagnosis may contribute in most cases of monogenic hereditary recurrent fevers. Recurrent fevers must be distinguished from intermittent fevers, mostly infectious, characterized by variation in associated symptoms from episode-to-episode and without periodicity.

Case Report: When an Induced Illness Looks Like a Rare Disease

The recognition of fabricated illness (FI) in a child represents a diagnostic challenge. The suspicion of FI often arises from the discrepancy between laboratory tests and clinical history. For instance, (unnecessary) insulin injections by caregivers has been widely described as a common cause of factitious hypoglycemia that may be inferred from discrepancies between plasma insulin and c-peptide. However, contemporary administration of insulin with an insulin secretagogue (glyburide), and of additional drugs, can make the diagnostic pathway problematic. We report the case of a child 4 years and 11 months old, admitted for alternance of hypo- and hyperglycemia associated with hirsutism, hypokalemia, nephrocalcinosis, and neurodevelopmental delay. All these features were compatible with Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome, a rare disorder of severe insulin resistance linked to mutations of insulin receptor. At admission, plasma insulin levels were high during hypoglycemic episodes, but c-peptide was repeatedly in the normal range. The genetic analysis of insulin receptor was negative. The story of previous hospital admissions, inconsistency between insulin and c-peptide values, and association between hypoglycemic episodes in the child with the presence of the mother, raised the suspicion of FI. This hypothesis was confirmed by a video recording that revealed the administration by the mother of multiple drugs (insulin, glyburide, progesterone, and furosemide) that mimicked most of the features of Rabson-Mendenhall syndrome, including hirsutism and hypoglycemia with coincident, inappropriately normal c-peptide values due to the administration of the insulin secretagogue. Our case indicates that inconsistency among consecutive diagnostic tests should be regarded as a clue of FI.

Genetic differentials of child abuse: Is your case rare or real?

The clinical geneticist can be called upon to play a role in the medical evaluation of children with clinical findings concerning for child abuse. This Introduction describes a case of suspected child abuse in an 8-month-old baby referred to clinical genetics to exclude osteogenesis imperfecta. The experience from this case raised medical and ethical considerations and prompted consideration of the role of the clinical geneticist in distinguishing rare mimics of child abuse from real cases. From this single case, and a discussion regarding similar cases, arose the idea of this issue in Seminars in Medical Genetics, Genetic Differentials of Child Abuse: Is Your Case Rare or Real? In thinking about child abuse from a clinical genetics perspective, we categorize clinical presentations into fractures, skin lesions, hemorrhage, growth disturbances, and concern for caregiver-fabricated illness (previously known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy). In this Introduction, we also discuss recent questions regarding Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and infantile fractures and concerns about caregiver-fabricated illness in the context of mitochondrial or other rare diseases. The goal is that this issue on child abuse and genetics will serve as a resource to help distinguish the rare causes from the real cases of child abuse, and those critical distinctions and correct diagnoses may be life-saving for some infants and children.

Perspectives on the clinical significance of functional pain syndromes in children

Functional pain syndromes (FPS) characterize a subset of individuals who experience pain and related symptoms and disability without clear structural or disease etiology. In the pediatric population, FPS hold high clinical importance due to significant prevalence rates and potential to persist into adulthood. Although extensive research has been executed to disambiguate FPS, the syndromes that fall within its spectrum remain conceptually complex and sometimes ill-defined. This paper provides an overview of available research on the classification and multifaceted etiology of FPS in youth and their effects on interpersonal, psychological, and familial function. Vital aspects of a successful multidisciplinary approach to treating this population are described; however, it is evident that future research requires more longitudinal studies.

Fabricated or induced illness in the oral cavity in children. A systematic review and personal experience

Introduction

Münchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) describes a pattern in which a caregiver induces a disease in a child. The symptoms may manifest in the oral cavity.

Material and methods

PubMed was researched for articles between 1990-2014, presenting manifestations of MSPB, following PRISMA 2009 guidelines, and an in-house case of MSBP with oral manifestations was presented.

Review

Among 66 articles presenting MSBP symptoms, four included descriptions of oral lesions in five children. They included: tooth loss, ulcerations and ulcers on oral mucosa, scars due to old, healed lesions, bleeding, black tongue, polysialia, and discolouration and swelling in the lips. Münchausen syndrome by proxy with participation of the mother was diagnosed in four cases.

Case

A 13-year-old girl was hospitalised because of a non-healing ulcer of the septum, loose and lost mandibular teeth, skin lesions, and suspected immunodeficiency. She had been hospitalised numerous times at other facilities. Consultations and diagnostic tests did not confirm an organic disease. The patient and her mother agreed to undergo all examinations, and some symptoms ‘went away’ during the examinations. The behaviour of the patient and her mother during hospital stays, ambulatory care, and the psychiatric observations all pointed towards MPSB. They refused further treatment at the present facility.

Conclusions

A dentist should take into account the potential ‘fabrication’ of symptoms in a child by the latter or by a caregiver. Consultations with a paediatrician or psychiatrist enable a diagnosis and treatment.

[The phenomenon of covert self-mutilation in the surgical routine]

Factitious disorders are conditions which are unknown to many physicians but have a prevalence of 1-5 % in outpatient departments and hospitals. In order to avoid prolonged and complicated (false) treatment in surgery this article gives a review of the definition, epidemiology and pathogenesis of factitious disorders as well as clinical symptoms and therapy options. A focus is placed on the identification of patients, treatment strategies and the prevention of malpractice. Additionally, clinical features of the disorder are illustrated with the description of some characteristic cases.

Caregiver-fabricated illness in a child

In October 2004, a case of caregiver-fabricated illness in a child was identified in a children's hospital in the Midwest. This case report begins with a discussion and explanation of the various nomenclatures that have been used by the healthcare community such as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, factitious disorder by proxy, medical child abuse, and caregiver-fabricated illness in a child. A discussion of case facts is then presented, which includes key concepts that nurses should know regarding a diagnosis of caregiver-fabricated illness in a child and the interventions that should be taken.

Factitious disorders and malingering: challenges for clinical assessment and management

Compared with other psychiatric disorders, diagnosis of factitious disorders is rare, with identification largely dependent on the systematic collection of relevant information, including a detailed chronology and scrutiny of the patient's medical record. Management of such disorders ideally requires a team-based approach and close involvement of the primary care doctor. As deception is a key defining component of factitious disorders, diagnosis has important implications for young children, particularly when identified in women and health-care workers. Malingering is considered to be rare in clinical practice, whereas simulation of symptoms, motivated by financial rewards, is regarded as more common in medicolegal settings. Although psychometric investigations (eg, symptom validity testing) can inform the detection of illness deception, such tests need support from converging evidence sources, including detailed interview assessments, medical notes, and relevant non-medical investigations. A key challenge in any discussion of abnormal health-care-seeking behaviour is the extent to which a person's reported symptoms are considered to be a product of choice, or psychopathology beyond volitional control, or perhaps both. Clinical skills alone are not typically sufficient for diagnosis or to detect malingering. Medical education needs to provide doctors with the conceptual, developmental, and management frameworks to understand and deal with patients whose symptoms appear to be simulated. Central to the understanding of factitious disorders and malingering are the explanatory models and beliefs used to provide meaning for both patients and doctors. Future progress in management will benefit from an increased appreciation of the contribution of non-medical factors and a greater awareness of the conceptual and clinical findings from social neuroscience, occupational health, and clinical psychology.