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BMJ Case Reports 2009; doi:10.1136/bcr.07.2008.0463
  • Reminder of important clinical lesson

Factitious disorder presenting as type 1 diabetes mellitus

  1. Zainab Samaan1,
  2. Erin Hoh2,
  3. Glenda MacQueen1
  1. 1
    McMaster University, Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, 100 West 5th Street, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8N 3K7
  2. 2
    McMaster University, 1280 Main Street west, Hamilton, ON, Canada L8S 4L8
  1. Zainab Samaan, samaanz{at}mcmaster.ca
  • Published 20 March 2009

Summary

Factitious disorder (FD) is a condition characterised by the intentional production of illness to assume the sick role in the absence of external incentive. It is an illness that can be challenging, frustrating and troublesome for busy clinicians, and is easily misdiagnosed. Nonetheless, an accurate diagnosis is essential given that FD can lead to irreversible health consequences and unnecessary cost to society. This report describes the case of a middle-aged man with FD presenting as type 1 diabetes mellitus with recurrent hypoglycaemic episodes.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: none.

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