[A rare differential diagnosis of a somatoform autonomous disorder of the gastro-intestinal tract: the hepatocellular liver carcinoma in childhood].
OBJECTIVE
A severely ill 11-year-old boy came to the child psychiatric outpatient department of the Fachkrankenhaus Neckargemünd with the diagnosis of a somatoform disorder. Main symptoms included nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. He wished to be examined in order to enter the Stephen-Hawking-School for physically handicapped children in the town of Neckargemünd.


RESULTS
Manual examination revealed a palpable mass in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen, which was imaged as a tumour of the liver. During the subsequent operation, a 500 ml hepatocellular carcinoma was found.


CONCLUSIONS
The symptoms of the hepatocellular carcinoma, which rarely occurs in childhood, can perfectly mimic those of a somatoform disorder of the gastro-intestinal tract.
Voll
Renate
R
Fachkrankenhaus Neckargemünd, Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrische Ambulanz, Neckargemünd, Germany. renate.voll@fkn.srh.de
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002667:Child Reactive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005196:Family Therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012803:Sick Role; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology