A Case of Factitious Hemoptysis.

Kim, Young Il; Chi, Su Young; Ban, Hee Jung; Ju, Jin Yung; Kwon, Yong Soo; Oh, In Jae; Kim, Kyu Sik; Kim, Yu Il; Kim, Young Chul; Lim, Sung Chul

doi:2008.65.5.396

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 65(5); 2008 > Article

Case Report

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2008;65(5):396-399.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2008.65.5.396 Published online November 1, 2008.

A Case of Factitious Hemoptysis.

Young Il Kim, Su Young Chi, Hee Jung Ban, Jin Yung Ju, Yong Soo Kwon, In Jae Oh, Kyu Sik Kim, Yu Il Kim, Young Chul Kim, Sung Chul Lim

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea. kyionly@chonnam.ac.kr

Abstract

Factitious hemoptysis is the bleeding type of Munchausen's syndrome, and this describes a group of patients who intentionally produce symptoms. Because factitious hemoptysis is a very rare manifestation of hemoptysis, it generally passes unnoticed. We report here on a case of factitious hemoptysis in a 15-year-old boy who presented with hemoptysis. During his three hospitalizations, we conducted many diagnostic procedures, including chest CT, laryngoscopy, bronchoscopy and bronchial arteriography, yet we failed to find the definitive cause of the patient's hemoptysis. He kept on complaining of repetitive hemoptysis and seizure-like activity. His father discovered that he had collected his blood into the specimen cup via an intravenous line. After we removed the intravenous line, he did not show blood to us again. We suggest that factitious hemoptysis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hemoptysis of an unclear bleeding focus, and especially when the patient has a bizarre hospital course or unusual behavior. We also include a review of the relevant literature.

Key Words: Factitious, Hemoptysis