[Factitious anemia with severe iron deficiency caused by self-venesection].
A 22-year-old unmarried female student of nurse school was admitted to our hospital because of hypochromic anemia and fever of unknown origin. She was diagnosed as having iron-deficiency anemia and was treated with iron, but progressive anemia recurred periodically. In particular, rapidly progressive anemia was observed after the patient stayed overnight, so we strongly suspected factitious anemia. A search of her locker in the sickroom and her room at home revealed many syringes, injection needles and a bottle of blood. Factitious anemia was diagnosed and she confessed to self blood-drawing. After a psychiatric consultation, anemia tended to to resolve gradually. However she did not go to the hospital after 6 months from her discharge. Physicians should consider factitious anemia in a patient with severe chronic hypochromic anemia who dose not respond to adequate iron therapy, particularly in a patient with medical training.
Nakamae
H
H
Osaka City University, Department of Clinical Hematology.
Hino
M
M
Ohta
K
K
Suzuki
K
K
Aoyama
Y
Y
Sakai
N
N
Sakamoto
C
C
Hasegawa
T
T
Yamane
T
T
Tatsumi
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005162:Factitious Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018962:Phlebotomy; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior