Surreptitious Warfarin Ingestion: A Case Report of Munchausen Syndrome
摘要
Munchausen syndrome is a psychiatric disorder characterized by the intentional production of illness symptoms or exaggeration of an existing condition. Individuals with this syndrome often seek medical attention and subject themselves to unnecessary treatments and invasive procedures.
Case PresentationA 34-year-old woman with known hypothyroidism, who frequently presented to the hospital with bleeding complaints, had been treated for a long time with a diagnosis of a hemostatic abnormality. Fresh frozen plasma treatment was given at the time of first admissions, and vitamin K treatment was given during the follow-up considering vitamin K deficiency. However, the patient’s bleeding complaints continued. Because the underlying cause of the bleeding disorder could not be clearly identified, it was suspected that there might be psychiatric causes other than organic causes, and further investigation was carried out. Surreptitious warfarin use was discovered with raised suspicion of Munchausen syndrome. Underlying hypothyroidism contributed to her depression, which may have predisposed her to factitious behavior.
ConclusionsTreatment involved psychiatric hospitalization, antidepressant therapy, and electroconvulsive therapy, resulting in clinical remission. This case highlights the importance of considering psychiatric etiologies in unexplained coagulopathy and the need for multidisciplinary management.