Conversion disorder in a pediatric transgender patient.
Somatoform disorders are difficult to diagnosis and often present as a neurological illness in pediatric populations. Conversion disorder is the somatoform disorder most commonly seen in children, particularly adolescents, who have anxiety related to sexual behaviors and orientation. In a transgender patient, the risk of conversion disorder is even higher. The patient described in this article presented with multiple neurological symptoms that disappeared after she began presenting herself as a male. There is a significant need for research into somatoform disorders as well as research into the transgender population.
Orfanelli
Laura
L
A. I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Division of Neurology, Wilmington, DE, USA. Lorfanel@nemours.org
Borkowski
Winslow J
WJ