Open AccessMunchausen Syndrome by Tissue Plasminogen Activator
Author(s) -
Rafer Willenberg,
Bo Leung,
Shlee Song,
Oana M. Dumitrascu,
Konrad Schlick,
Patrick D. Lyden
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
neurology. clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.674
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 2163-0933
pISSN - 2163-0402
DOI - 10.1212/cpj.0000000000000828
Subject(s) - munchausen syndrome , medicine , factitious disorder , tissue plasminogen activator , intensive care medicine , pediatrics , poison control , medical emergency , psychiatry , suicide prevention , child abuse
Munchausen syndrome by tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a phenomenon we describe as patients exhibiting factitious symptoms to assume the role of the sick patient, desiring and received tPA, with no alternative diagnosis or secondary gain to better account for their presentation. To illustrate this phenomenon and its magnitude, we present a series of cases of Munchausen syndrome by tPA, prevalence in our stroke center, and highlight one illustrative case.