Table 1.

A classification of factitious disorders according to the mechanisms employed, with examples of theresulting symptom-complex^∗

• Self-induced infections: wounds, abscesses, bacteremia, sepsis, fever

• Surreptitious ingestion of medicines, vitamins, minerals: diarrhea, vomiting, hypokalemia (laxatives and/or diuretics), renal failure, hypomagnesemia, salt poisoning, Bartter's syndrome, hypoglycemia, pheochromocytoma (epinephrine injection), hyperthyroidism, bleeding or purpura from coagulation disorder (dicumarol, heparin), bone marrow depression, liver disease (vitamin A toxicity)

• Self-induced injury: unhealed wounds, bruises, deformities, dermatoses (may also be induced by ingestion of certain drugs), reflex sympathetic dystrophy

• Phlebotomy (self or animal): anemia, melena, hematochezia, hematemesis, hematuria

• Thermometer manipulation or substitution of thermometer: fever

• Simulation of the clinical manifestations of specific diseases or syndromes (sometimes using falsified medical records or contamination of body fluids): cancer, AIDS, cystic fibrosis, pancreatitis, insanity, depression, multiple sclerosis, seizures, pain syndromes, renal stones, proteinuria

∗Organization was modified from that of Reich and Gottfried (18).