Pseudocyesis is rare but it is a concern in remote areas based on sociocultural factors: A case report

Abstract

False pregnancy, or pseudocyesis, is a rare "psychoneuroendocrine" condition in which a non-pregnant has a strong conviction of being pregnant. In the absence of a fetus, the patient illustrates several objective signs and symptoms of conception that resemble true pregnancy. Little is known about the psychopathology of pseudocyesis but the complex interactions of psychological, sociocultural and endocrine factors may play crucial roles. Although there are some studies or reports in Africa, pseudocyesis is neglected or rarely reported in Ethiopia and other developing countries. Here, we narrate the literature of pseudocyesis by a presenting a case of a 40-years-old woman with pseudocyesis in the setting of major depressive disorder. Overall, the condition needs a collaborative approach of gynaecologists and psychiatrists in the diagnosis and management of pseudocyesis. ContextA fantasy of pregnancy manifested as pseudocyesis is one of the earliest medical conditions recorded in history, dating back to the time of Hippocrates. Pseudocyesis or false pregnancy is "a false belief of being pregnant that is associated with objective signs and reported symptoms of pregnancy" (1). To describe the psychopathology, additional terminologies such as pseudopregnancy, false pregnancy, imaginary pregnancy, simulated pregnancy, spurious pregnancy, or phantom pregnancy has been used interchangeably (2, 3). Symptoms that most frequently observed during pseudocyesis include amenorrhea, morning sickness, abdominal distention, feeling of fetal movement, enlargement of the breasts, areolar pigmentation, secretion of milk, softening of the cervix, lordotic posture on walking or weight gain (2, 4).