Factitious disease is defined as the intentional production (or feigning) of disease in oneself to relieve emotional distress by assuming the role of a sick person.NCBISkiptomaincontentSkiptonavigationResourcesHowToAboutNCBIAccesskeysMyNCBISignintoNCBISignOutJournalListProc(BaylUnivMedCent)v.19(3);2006JulPMC1484524Proc(BaylUnivMedCent).2006Jul;19(3):195–208.doi: 10.1080/08998280.2006.11928162PMCID:PMC1484524PMID:17252033Factitiousdisease:clinicallessonsfromcasestudiesatBaylorUniversityMedicalCenterAdriaC.SavinoandJohnS.Fordtran,MDAuthorinformationCopyrightandLicenseinformationDisclaimerStudentresearchassistant,BaylorUniversityMedicalCenter,Dallas,Texas,andgraduatestudent,BostonUniversitySchoolofMedicine,Boston,Massachusetts(Savino)andtheDivisionofGastroenterology,DepartmentofInternalMedicine,BaylorUniversityMedicalCenter,Dallas,Texas(Fordtran).Correspondingauthor:JohnS.Fordtran,MD,DivisionofGastroenterology,DepartmentofInternalMedicine,BaylorUniversityMedicalCenter,3500GastonAvenue,Dallas,Texas75246(e-mail:ude.htlaeHrolyaB@oFnhoJ).Copyright©2006,BaylorUniversityMedicalCenterThisarticlehasbeencitedbyotherarticlesinPMC.Factitiousdiseaseisdefinedastheintentionalproduction(orfeigning)ofdiseaseinoneselftorelieveemotionaldistressbyassumingtheroleofasickperson.Althoughtheself-inductionofdiseaseisaconsciousact,theunderlyingmotivationisusuallyunconscious.Ithasbeenestimatedthat3%to5%ofphysician-patientencountersinvolvefactitiousdisease.Thisarticlepresents6casestudiesfromBaylorUniversityMedicalCenterthathighlightvariousclinicalaspectsoffactitiousdisease.Patientswithfactitiousdiseasesareextremelydifficulttorecognizebecausetheydonotappeardifferentfrompatientswithauthenticcausesofsimilarsymptoms,becausetheirpsychiatricabnormalitiesarenotappreciated,andbecausedoctorsandnurseshavealowindexofsuspicion.Sincepatientswithfactitiousdiseasepresentafalsemedicalhistory,theirphysiciansprescribeunnecessaryproceduresandtherapiesthatmayresultiniatrogenicdisease.Inmanycases,damagetothesepatient