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Female Reproductive System Mental Health ORGAN SYSTEMS

Pseudocyesis

False pregnancy, also known as phantom, hysterical pregnancy, pregnancy scares or pseudocyesis, is the appearance of clinical or subclinical signs and symptoms associated with pregnancy when the person is not actually pregnant.

False pregnancy, also known as phantom, hysterical pregnancy, pregnancy scares or pseudocyesis, is the appearance of clinical or subclinical signs and symptoms associated with pregnancy when the person is not actually pregnant.

  • Type of somatoform disorder (DSM-IV)

Clinical features

Symptoms of pseudocyesis are similar to the symptoms of true pregnancy and are often hard to distinguish from it.

  • Amenorrhoea
  • Morning sickness & vomiting
  • Tender breasts
  • Typical lordotic posture on walking
  • Inverted umbilicus
  • Increased appetite and weight gain

Differential diagnosis

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Tarín, J. J., Hermenegildo, C., García-Pérez, M. A., & Cano, A. (2013). Endocrinology and physiology of pseudocyesis. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology : RB&E, 11, 39. https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7827-11-39

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