RESEARCH ARTICLE
When Pain is Beyond Biology - A Case of Fake Leprosy
Lazslo Antonio Avila*, Eurides Maria de Oliveira Pozetti, Gislaine Fusco Fares, Rosa Maria Cordeiro Soubhia, Marilia Capuco Oliveira, Andreia Yumi Tomiyasu
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2017Volume: 10
First Page: 22
Last Page: 28
Publisher ID: TOPAINJ-10-22
DOI: 10.2174/1876386301710010022
Article History:
Received Date: 30/12/2016Revision Received Date: 10/05/2017
Acceptance Date: 17/05/2017
Electronic publication date: 30/06/2017
Collection year: 2017
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode). This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Background:
Pain is a complex phenomenon that implies pathophysiological processes and psychosocial components. A 56-year-old female patient complaining of pain and presenting with multiple mild physical signs was examined by a multidisciplinary team from the Ear-Nose-Throat, Dermatology, Hematology, General Clinics, and Psychiatry and Psychology Departments.
Objective:
To present a significant case where pain is primarily caused by psychological conflicts.
Method:
A multidisciplinary approach, with medical and psychological interventions.
Results:
The patient was deeply convinced; she had been contaminated by leprosy. Her enrooted personal beliefs, including religion and moral conflicts, seem to be the primary cause for her putative ‘disease’, a condition that was not confirmed by exhaustive exams.
Conclusion:
Pain normally is related to several factors, including biological, psychological and cultural. Some complex cases should be investigated by a multidisciplinary team of specialists, in order to identify extra-physiological components.