Factitious diseases

Conditions in which symptoms are deliberately manufactured by patients in order to gain attention and sympathy. Patients with factitious diseases do not fake symptoms for obvious financial gain or to evade the legal system.

Mentioned in: Malingering

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References in periodicals archive ?

Therefore, as with many other factitious diseases, physicians must use clinical evidence from multiple sources to establish a diagnosis of surreptitious laxative ingestion, rather than rely primarily on laboratory tests.

As with other forms of factitious disease, diagnosis of surreptitious laxative ingestion is difficult and often delayed for many years (3, 7-12).

False-negative tests, particularly for senna, may delay the diagnosis of factitious disease for years and contribute to complications from unnecessary or inappropriate medical or surgical therapy and overutilization of healthcare resources.

Factitious diarrhea induced by stimulant laxatives: accuracy of diagnosis by a clinical reference laboratory using thin layer chromatography

False reports of seizures, allergies, hematuria, and vomiting are common, and combinations of factitious diseases are the rule.