Polysymptomatic conversion disorder in childhood and adolescence in Japan. Early manifestation or incomplete form of somatization disorder?
BACKGROUND
In conversion disorder in childhood and adolescence, polysymptomatic (PS) presentations are reportedly commoner than monosymptomatic (MS) ones. Somatization disorder is also associated with pseudoneurological symptoms, but is extremely rare in childhood. This occurs despite the age of onset peaking in the teens among adult somatization disorder patients.


METHODS
We reviewed the records of 44 children and adolescents with pseudoneurological symptoms. They were categorized as MS cases (19) or PS cases (25), and their psychological backgrounds and clinical courses were compared.


RESULTS
PS patients had a poorer prognosis and more past psychiatric and family problems. While none met the DSM-IV criteria for somatization disorder, 2 PS patients met all but the sexual symptoms criteria.


CONCLUSIONS
PS conversion disorder in childhood and adolescence may constitute a different entity from MS conversion disorder and may be an early manifestation or incomplete form of somatization disorder.
Murase
S
S
Department of Psychiatry, Chukyo Hospital, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
Sugiyama
T
T
Ishii
T
T
Wakako
R
R
Ohta
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D010553:Personality Development; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology