PSEUDOCYESIS – A CURRENT VIEW ON AN OLD DISORDER

Abstract

Background. Pseudocyesis in a rare disorder characterized by the conviction of a nonpregnant woman (rarely also a man) that she (he) is pregnant in association with the development of objective signs and symptoms of pregnancy. The disorder involves both psychological and neuroendocrine mechanisms, it is heterogeneous and it is not precisely separated from other more common disorders. It is placed on borderline between psychiatry and gynecology, between psychical and somatic disorder.Conclusions. The authors describe the definition, history, epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, etiology and treatment of pseudocyesis according to medical literature and their experience.

Keywords

• pregnancy
• false pregnancy
• delusions of pregnancy
• somatoform disorders