Primary HIV infection masquerading as Munchausen’s syndrome

Since 1986 there have been several case reports describing factitious HIV infection.1 We have seen two acute presentations where the patients claimed to have chronic HIV infection, were found to be HIV antibody negative but on closer evaluation were found to be seroconverting with primary HIV infection (PHI). We believe that the patients were motivated by the psychological need to assume the sick role, fulfilling the principal feature of a factitious disorder, rather than malingering. A 40 year old homosexual man presented to HIV services with an acute diarrhoeal illness, claiming to have been diagnosed as …

[1]  J. Hopwood,et al.  Liquid based cytology: examination of its potential in a chlamydia screening programme , 2004, Sexually Transmitted Infections.

[2]  Shirley Telles,et al.  Randomized trial of yoga as a complementary therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis , 2004, Respirology.

[3]  I. Byren,et al.  Randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation of podophyllotoxin solution, podophyllotoxin cream, and podophyllin in the treatment of genital warts , 2003, Sexually transmitted infections.

[4]  J. Papp,et al.  Comparison of Methods for Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae Using Commercially Available Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests and a Liquid Pap Smear Medium , 2003, Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

[5]  L. de la Fuente,et al.  Late diagnosis of HIV infection in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy: consequences for AIDS incidence , 2002, AIDS.

[6]  A. Bianchi,et al.  PreservCyt Transport Medium Used for the ThinPrep Pap Test Is a Suitable Medium for Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis by the COBAS Amplicor CT/NG Test: Results of a Preliminary Study and Future Implications , 2002, Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

[7]  J. Simpson,et al.  Use of complementary therapies in a sexual health clinic setting , 2001, International journal of STD & AIDS.

[8]  R. Angioli,et al.  Self-administered topical 5% imiquimod cream for external anogenital warts in adolescent girls , 2001 .

[9]  E. Ernst,et al.  A randomized trial of distant healing for skin warts. , 2000, The American journal of medicine.

[10]  J. Felix,et al.  The relationship of inflammation in the papanicolaou smear to Chlamydia trachomatis infection in a high-risk population. , 2000, Contraception.

[11]  R. Chetty,et al.  Large artery vasculopathy in HIV-positive patients: another vasculitic enigma. , 2000, Human pathology.

[12]  A. Leis,et al.  A study to test the effectiveness of placebo Reiki standardization procedures developed for a planned Reiki efficacy study. , 1999, Journal of alternative and complementary medicine.

[13]  P. Vernazza,et al.  Sexual transmission of HIV: infectiousness and prevention. , 1999, AIDS.

[14]  J. F. Val,et al.  Superior vena cava syndrome secondary to syphilitic aneurysm of the ascending aorta in a human immunodeficiency virus-infected patient. , 1998, Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

[15]  C. Sonnex,et al.  Influence of genital infection on cervical cytology. , 1998, Sexually transmitted infections.

[16]  B. Walker,et al.  Acute human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection. , 1998, The New England journal of medicine.

[17]  B. Leynaert,et al.  Heterosexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus: variability of infectivity throughout the course of infection. European Study Group on Heterosexual Transmission of HIV. , 1998, American journal of epidemiology.

[18]  I. Longini,et al.  Role of the primary infection in epidemics of HIV infection in gay cohorts. , 1995, Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes.

[19]  Martine De Cock,et al.  Feigned HIV infection/AIDS: malingering and Munchausen's syndrome. , 1994, Genitourinary medicine.

[20]  M. R. Buchness,et al.  The spectrum of syphilis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. , 1990, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

[21]  K. Fenton,et al.  chlamydia screening programme Modelling the healthcare costs of an opportunistic , 2004 .

[22]  M. Greenberg,et al.  Safety and efficacy of 0.5% podofilox gel in the treatment of anogenital warts. , 1998, Archives of dermatology.