Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (2008) 14: 276-282. doi: 10.1192/apt.bp.106.003210
© 2008 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Online supplement
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow View responses
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Related articles in APT
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bourke, J.
Right arrow Articles by Turner, B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Bourke, J.
Right arrow Articles by Turner, B.

Neuropathica diabolica{dagger}

Julius Bourke and Benjamin Turner

Julius Bourke is a specialist registrar (ST4) in psychiatry, currently on the South London and Maudsley psychiatry rotation (Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ, UK. Email: Julius{at}bourke6147.freeserve.co.uk). As a senior house officer he worked in hyperbaric medicine, accident and emergency, and neurology. Benjamin Turner is a consultant and honorary senior lecturer in neurology at St Bartholomew’s and The Royal London Hospitals, specialising in multiple sclerosis. He leads a research team into novel treatments in multiple sclerosis and the mechanisms of neurodegeneration in the disease.

In 1951 Asher described chronic factitious disorder characterised by dramatic presentations, histories and recurrent admissions. Asher initially described three types of presentation – acute abdominal (laparotamophilia migrans), haemorrhagic (haemorrhagia histrionica) and neurological (neuropathica diabolica). Factitious disorder is now included in both DSM–IV and ICD–10. Numerous case reports exist but the evidence base for effective management strategies remains relatively sparse. It is an uncommon disorder most often encountered in liaison psychiatry that remains difficult to manage and characteristically stimulates strong countertransference reactions in the teams involved. Psychiatric involvement remains vital in such cases although poor engagement is often a significant obstruction. As an illustration, we present a vignette based on case of a previously unreported variant of the neurological category involving Guillain-Barré syndrome.


Related articles in APT:

Confidentiality in Munchausen’s syndrome: INVITED COMMENTARY ON... Neuropathica diabolica
Anne E. Farmer
APT 2008 14: 283-284. [Abstract] [Full Text]  



eLetters:

Read all eLetters

Munchausen’s Syndrome: In favour of ‘Measured Scepticism’.
Udemezue O Imo
Advances Online, 3 Oct 2008 [Full text]