title: Postoperative conversion disorder.
abstract: Conversion disorder is a psychiatric disorder in which psychological stress causes neurologic deficits. A 28-year-old female surgical patient had uneventful general anesthesia and emergence but developed conversion disorder 1 hour postoperatively. She reported difficulty speaking, right-hand numbness and weakness, and right-leg paralysis. Neurologic examination and imaging revealed no neuronal damage, herniation, hemorrhage, or stroke. The patient mentioned failing examinations the day before surgery and discontinuing her prescribed antidepressant medication, leading us to diagnose conversion disorder, with eventual confirmation by neuroimaging and follow-up examinations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
authors.forename: Kola
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Afolabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
authors.forename: Sameer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Services, Department of Surgery, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gahtan
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gorji
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
authors.forename: Fenghua
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA. Electronic address: nnussmeier@partners.org.
authors.forename: Nancy A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Nussmeier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000379:methods; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006987:Hypesthesia / Q000209:etiology; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*
keywords: Anesthesia; Conversion disorder; General; Postoperative complications