Diagnosis and Management of Postoperative Conversion Disorder in an Adolescent Following Arthroscopic Meniscectomy

Abstract

Conversion disorder (CD), also known as a functional neurological symptom disorder, is a somatoform disorder involving an unconscious, involuntary process in which psychosocial needs, conflicts, and internal stresses are expressed as somatic symptoms without an anatomical or physiological explanation. The signs and symptoms are involuntary and appear with no underlying physical cause. Various triggers and psychologic stresses may result in the sudden clinical manifestations of the disorder. We present a 14-year-old adolescent who developed a CD following anesthetic care for a partial lateral meniscectomy. Previous reports of postoperative CDs are reviewed, etiologic considerations during the postoperative period are discussed, and management options are presented.




J Med Cases. 2017;8(10):326-329
doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc2905w