DISSOCIATIVE (CONVERSION) DISORDER FOLLOWING SERIAL SEXUAL ABUSE OF A 16 YEAR OLD GIRL CHILD: A CASE REPORT

Introduction: Conversion disorder resulting from the developmental history of many years of sexual abuse in adolescent females who are never heard, is often a rare feature in our cultures. Consequently, they explain themselves in unusual symptoms. This is the rationale for this report which is an original case report of interest to a particular clinical specialty of mental health but it will have a broader clinical impact across medicine especially for general practitioners, on the need to reduce cases of missed diagnosis. The findings in this study therefore, will significantly advance our knowledge of conversion disorders and the different ways it can present, to cause diagnostic puzzles.

Case Presentation: A 16-year-old high school female student in Rivers State, Nigeria, presented to a primary care private clinic in August, 2015, with history of seizures with abnormal behavior. She was consequently referred to mental health physician for evaluation. On psychiatric interview and mental health examination, it was found out that the patient had pseudoseizures following serial sexual abuse by caregivers. Bio-psycho-social Model was employed in the management of this patient with good outcome.

Conclusions: The psychological factor of child abuse triggering this peudoseizure, points to the fact that parents should be more proactive and careful with their children in the guardianship of family members or friends and emphasizes the need for medical practitioners, to raise their index of suspicion in order to reduce cases of missed diagnosis.