Conversion disorder: difficulties in diagnosis using DSM-IV/ICD-10.
OBJECTIVE
Conversion disorder presents differently in various cultures. The commonest symptoms in the Asian subcontinent may be very different from those seen in Western Hemisphere. This causes some difficulty in making a diagnosis while using DSM-IV and ICD-10.


METHODS
This study searched inpatient records for the last 10 years at the Aga Khan University and collected some demographic data as well as assessed the phenomenology of conversion disorder in the patient population.


RESULTS
We found unresponsiveness to be the most common symptom in this sample thus not exactly fitting the DSM-IV/ICD-10 picture.


CONCLUSIONS
We observed that current criteria of conversion disorder as stated in two major classification systems are not totally relevant to the clinical practice in Pakistan and other parts of subcontinent.
Syed
E U
EU
Department of Psychiatry, Aga Khan University, Karachi.
Atiq
R
R
Effendi
S
S
Mehmud
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male