The "Münchausen syndrome" in aesthetic surgery of the nose: the patient's problem or the surgeon's problem?
The case history of a patient who searched for years for an unattainable facial appearance is presented. Over a fourteen-year period, the patient consulted 13 plastic surgeons and underwent 10 surgical procedures on his nose and chin. Only at a very late stage was he examined by a psychiatrist. This consultation revealed evidence of Münchausen syndrome--named after the famous Baron of Münchausen and introduced to modern medical literature by Asher in 1951. Asher's publication enlightened many physicians, enabling them to treat such cases with better understanding. The repeated unsuccessful operations in such cases leads one to believe that further surgery will fail to solve the patient's psychiatric problems. Moreover, in a patient showing evidence of this syndrome, approval of the desired operation by a surgeon further strengthens the patient's belief in the legitimacy of his delusions.
D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009110:Munchausen Syndrome; D012225:Rhinoplasty