A Case of Conversion Disorder Presenting Hemiplegia.
- Author:
Soon Hee YOO
1
;
Hye Won KIM
;
Myung Eun CHUNG
;
Sun IM
;
Seong Hoon LIM
;
Ye Rim CHO
;
In Hee YU
;
Young Jin KO
Author Information
1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Korea. soonee34@hotmail.com
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Conversion disorder;
Hemiplegia
- MeSH:
Accidents, Traffic;
Brain;
Conversion Disorder;
Diagnostic Errors;
Female;
Hemiplegia;
Humans;
Neurologic Manifestations;
Paresis;
Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
- From:Journal of the Korean Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine
2009;33(3):357-360
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Patients with conversion disorder are often presented with critical symptoms or signs which could suggest severe organic disorders. Hysterical hemiparesis is a relatively rare presentation and it is difficult to diagnose because it is displayed as a unilateral motor weakness with or without sensory deficits. A previously healthy 23-years-old woman developed sudden onset of hemiplegia and hemianesthesia with loss of anal tone. Before the onset, she had a traffic accident. A through medical workup including X-rays, MRI, CT scans, EMG, and brain SPECT revealed no organic causes for such neurologic deficits. She gradually regained neurologic function over 2 months from the onset. Conversion disorder should be considered when symptom- related anatomic or physiologic abnormalities could not be proven with appropriate workup. Medical evaluation must be performed in advance to the diagnosis of conversion disorder to avoid misdiagnosis.
