title: [Simulation in ophthalmology].
abstract: METHODS
  Four cases of patients simulating eye problems are reported. The patients included: an adopted 9 year-old girl complaining of bilateral visual loss, a 10 year-old girl with school and family problems complaining of decreased visual acuity, a 22 year-old female mentioning unilateral visual loss after a car accident, and a 30 year-old female complaining of decreased visual acuity after refractive surgery. Structural and functional tests were performed on all 4 patients and none of the tests revealed any pathological findings. The 4 cases were diagnosed as patients simulating ophthalmological symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A non-organic cause of visual loss is a common problem in Ophthalmology. Simulation is the diagnosis used when an adult consciously tries to obtain some kind of benefit without proven pathology. In the case of children, obtaining benefit is not their intention, but psycho-social and psychiatric problems are frequently associated in these cases.
authors: Unidad de Neurooftalmología, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, España. ammh.humanes@yahoo.es
authors: Ana M
authors: AM
authors: Muñoz-Hernández
authors: Rocío
authors: R
authors: García-Catalán
authors: Enrique
authors: E
authors: Santos-Bueso
authors: Consuelo
authors: C
authors: López-Abad
authors: Javier G
authors: JG
authors: Gil-De-Bernabé
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Díaz-Valle
authors: José M
authors: JM
authors: Benítez-Del-Castillo-Sánchez
authors: Julián
authors: J
authors: García-Sánchez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005162:Factitious Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055815:Young Adult