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- Title
Pseudocyesis: a case of an almost forgotten disorder.
- Authors
Derganc, M.; Savs, A. Pirtovsek
- Abstract
Introduction: INTRODUCTION: Pseudocyesis, a false belief of being pregnant associated with actual signs of pregnancy, has been observed and documented since antiquity. It should be distinguished from delusions of pregnancy with usually schizophrenic patients where signs of pregnancy are not demonstrably present. The rate of pseudocyesis in the western world has declined significantly in the past century and is therefore seldom a subject of professional debate. Objectives: (Case report) Methods: (Case report) Results: CASE REPORT: A 37-year-old woman with a history of tree miscarriages was admitted to our clinic for the first time. Upon admission she claimed that she was pregnant and that no one believed her. She told that she had met a perfect guy and that they had an unprotected intercourse. She was feeling pregnant - she lost her period, her breasts and belly became swollen, she was eating just yogurts and fruits, she experienced nausea and sensations of baby's movement. She made a urine pregnancy test and it was positive. Her gynaecologist said that she was just obese since ultrasound examination and blood tests were negative. She received risperidone and quetiapine and her belief that she was pregnant subsided. Psychological examination revealed borderline intellectual functioning. After two years of outpatient treatment she is still stable. Conclusions: CONCLUSIONS: Cultures that place high value on pregnancy or make close associations between fertility and a person's worth, still have higher rates of pseudocyesis. However, pseudocyesis has become a rarity in the developed countries which makes it all the more interesting to observe.
- Subjects
PREGNANCY tests; WESTERN countries; PEOPLE with schizophrenia; BLOOD testing; DEVELOPED countries
- Publication
European Psychiatry, 2020, Vol 63, pS583
- ISSN
0924-9338
- Publication type
Article