Munchausen syndrome 54426 225423223 2008-07-13T16:45:58Z Correogsk 4595831 {{Infobox_Disease | Name = Munchausen syndrome | Image = | Caption = | DiseasesDB = 8459 | DiseasesDB_mult = {{DiseasesDB2|33167}} | ICD10 = {{ICD10|F|68|1|f|60}} | ICD9 = {{ICD9|301.51}} | ICDO = | OMIM = | MedlinePlus = | eMedicineSubj = med | eMedicineTopic = 3543 | eMedicine_mult = {{eMedicine2|emerg|322}} {{eMedicine2|emerg|830}} | MeshID = D009110 | }} {{dablink|This page refers to the self-inflicted [[factitious disorder]]. For the form of abuse known as 'Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy' (MSbP/MSP), see [[Fabricated or Induced Illness]].}} {{dablink|For feigned mental illness, see [[Malingering]].}} '''Munchausen syndrome''' is a [[psychiatric disorder]] in which those affected fake disease, illness, or psychological trauma in order to draw attention or sympathy to themselves. It is in a class of disorders known as [[factitious disorder]]s which involve "illnesses" whose symptoms are either self-induced or falsified by the patient. It is also sometimes known as '''hospital addiction syndrome'''. == Syndrome == In Munchausen syndrome, the affected person exaggerates or creates [[symptom]]s of [[illness]]es in themselves in order to gain investigation, treatment, attention, sympathy, and comfort from medical personnel. In some extremes, people suffering from Munchausen's Syndrome are highly knowledgeable about the practice of medicine, and are able to produce symptoms that result in multiple unnecessary operations. For example, they may inject a vein with infected material, causing widespread infection of unknown origin, and as a result cause lengthy and costly medical analyses and prolonged hospital stay. The role of "patient" is a familiar and comforting one, and it fills a psychological need in people with Munchausen's. It is distinct from [[hypochondria]] in that patients with Munchausen syndrome are aware that they are exaggerating, while sufferers of hypochondria actually believe they have a disease. <!-- There is some controversy on the exact causes of the syndrome, but an increased occurrence has been reported{{Fact|date=February 2007}} in healthcare professionals and close family members of people with a chronic illness such as [[bipolar disorder|manic depression]]. -->In many cases, this syndrome has been documented in the parent or guardian of a child, who assures his or her child of an affliction, therefore committing the child to spending a significant portion of their youth in hospitals. Furthermore, a disease may actually be initiated in the child by the parent or guardian. This, despite the mentality of the adult, is a serious form of child abuse. ==Origin of the name== The syndrome name derives from [[Baron Münchhausen]] (Karl Friedrich Hieronymus Freiherr von Münchhausen, [[1720]]-[[1797]]) who purportedly told many fantastical and impossible adventures about himself, which [[Rudolf Raspe]] later published as ''The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen''. In 1951, [[Richard Asher]] was the first to describe a pattern of self-harm, where individuals fabricated histories, signs, and symptoms of illness. Remembering Baron Munchausen, Asher named this condition Munchausen's Syndrome and wrote in the British medical journal the Lancet: ''"Here is described a common syndrome which most doctors have seen, but about which little has been written. Like the famous Baron von Munchausen, the persons affected have always travelled widely; and their stories, like those attributed to him, are both dramatic and untruthful. Accordingly the syndrome is respectfully dedicated to the Baron, and named after him."''<ref name="BMJObituary">{{Citation | title = R. A. J. Asher (Obituary notice) | journal = British Medical Journal | volume = 2(5653) | pages = 388 | date = 1969-05-10 | year = 1969 | url = http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/pagerender.fcgi?artid=1983233&pageindex=2#page | accessdate = 2008-03-20}}</ref><ref>Lancet 1951 Feb 10;1(6650):339-41</ref> Originally, this term was used for all [[wikt:factitious|factitious]] disorders. Now, however, there is considered to be a wide range of factitious disorders, and the diagnosis of "Munchausen syndrome" is reserved for the most severe form, where the simulation of disease is the central activity of the affected person's life. ==Comparison to fabricated or induced illness (FII)== {{main|Fabricated or induced illness}} Fabricated or induced illness (FII) is the formal name of a type of [[abuse]] in which a caregiver feigns or induces an illness in a person under their care, in order to attract attention, sympathy, or to fill other emotional needs. It has been informally known as '''Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy''' (MSbP), due to its similarity to Munchausen syndrome, in which a person feigns or induces illness in ''themselves'' for similar emotional reasons. The syndrome was proposed in 1977 by the pediatrician [[Roy Meadow]], and gained recognition from the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health in 2002. Nevertheless, not all medical organizations agree on the nature and extent of the syndrome; whether it actually exists and, if it does, the prevalence is a matter of dispute. ==Illnesses and conditions that are feigned by Munchausen sufferers== *[[gastroesophageal reflux disease|acid reflux]] *[[anxiety disorder]] *[[arthritis]] *[[Asperger syndrome]] *[[cancer]] *[[clinical depression]] *[[dissociative identity disorder]] (multiple personalities) *[[electrolyte disturbance]] *[[heart disease]] *[[lupus erythematosus|lupus]] *[[nephrology|kidney disease]] *[[post-traumatic stress disorder]] *[[sexual abuse]] *May have multiple [[scar]]s on [[abdomen]] due to repeated "[[emergency]]" [[surgery|operations]] ==See also== *[[Fabricated or induced illness]], also known as ''Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy'' *[[Histrionic personality disorder]] *[[Munchausen by Internet]] *[[Mythomania]] *[[Psychosomatic illness]] ==References== {{reflist}} * {{cite book |author=Feldman, Marc |title=Playing sick?: untangling the web of Munchausen syndrome, Munchausen by proxy, malingering & factitious disorder |publisher=Brunner-Routledge |location=Philadelphia |year=2004 |pages= |isbn=0-415-94934-3 |oclc= |doi=}} * {{cite journal |author=Fisher JA |title=Playing patient, playing doctor: Munchausen syndrome, clinical S/M, and ruptures of medical power |journal=The Journal of medical humanities |volume=27 |issue=3 |pages=135–49 |year=2006 |pmid=16817003 |doi=10.1007/s10912-006-9014-9}} * {{cite journal |author=Fisher JA |title=Investigating the Barons: narrative and nomenclature in Munchausen syndrome |journal=Perspect. Biol. Med. |volume=49 |issue=2 |pages=250–62 |year=2006 |pmid=16702708 |doi=10.1353/pbm.2006.0024}} * Friedel,Robert O., MD Borderline Personality Disorder Demystified, Pg 9-10, Munchausen syndrome, Munchausen syndrome by Proxy. ISBN 1-56924-456-1 ==External links== *[http://www.munchausen.com/ Dr. Marc Feldman's Munchausen Syndrome, Malingering, Factitious Disorder, & Munchausen by Proxy Page] - Page offering information on Munchausen and its many other names. Offers information on Dr. Feldman's books and his email address for interested parties. *[http://discovermagazine.com/1993/jul/thebaronstrikesa243 Article in Discover magazine, July 1993, by Abigail Zuger] *[http://www.giorgioclementi.it/medea.htm The Medea of the modern times] {{Mental and behavioural disorders}} [[Category:Forensic psychology]] [[Category:Factitious disorders]] [[Category:Syndromes]] [[ar:متلازمة مانشهاوزن]] [[da:Münchhausen-syndromet]] [[de:Münchhausen-Syndrom]] [[es:Síndrome de Münchhausen]] [[fr:Syndrome de Münchausen]] [[ko:뮨하우젠 증후군]] [[it:Sindrome di Münchausen]] [[he:תסמונת מינכהאוזן]] [[nl:Münchhausensyndroom]] [[ja:ミュンヒハウゼン症候群]] [[pl:Zespół Münchhausena]] [[pt:Síndrome de Münchhausen]] [[ro:Sindromul Münchhausen]] [[ru:Синдром Мюнхгаузена]] [[fi:Münchhausenin oireyhtymä]] [[sv:Münchhausens syndrom]] [[tr:Münchhausen sendromu]]