Pseudocyesis Versus Delusion of Pregnancy: Differential Diagnoses to be Kept in Mind

• Main Authors: Tarun Yadav, Yatan Pal Singh Balhara, Dinesh Kumar Kataria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2012-01-01
• Series: Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine
• Subjects: Delusion of pregnancy; phantom pregnancy; pseudocyesis
• Online Access: http://www.ijpm.info/article.asp?issn=0253-7176;year=2012;volume=34;issue=1;spage=82;epage=84;aulast=Yadav

Pseudocyesis is a condition in which the patient has all signs and symptoms of pregnancy except for the confirmation of the presence of a fetus. The literature on delusions of pregnancy in schizophrenia is however scanty. We hereby present a case of delusion of pregnancy. The case highlights the possibility of delusion of pregnancy if a patient presents with features suggestive of pseudocyesis. The obstetricians being more familiar with pseudocyesis might tend to overlook the other possibility in such cases. This would be especially true if there are no associated clearcut psychotic features.