Abstract
A 23-year-old woman was admitted to our psychiatric department with chief complaints of convulsive attacks accompanied by unconsciousness and self-mutilation, complete motoric paralysis and complete anesthesia in both lower limbs. At the age of 18,she was treated under the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism, at 20,she was hospitalized under the diagnosis of thyrotoxic crisis but recovered from it after about 1 month. However, since then, she had been suffering from lack of appetite and general fatigue, which compelled her to stay in bed. One year and three months after recovering from the crisis, convulsive attack began to appear. Nine more months later, complate motoric paralysis and complete anesthesia of both lower limbs appeared, and after 3 months she was admitted to our hospital.Physical and neurological examinations, thyroidal functions and hematological tests were all normal. The convulsive attack was very amorphous from the clinical viewpoint including its type and duration. In addition, the zones of anesthesia and motoric paralysis did not coincide with the nerve-controling zones, and the symptoms were not considered as of any neural origin. Consequently, she was diagnosed as conversion hysteria as the disease was non-organic and the symptoms appeared in the zones contoled by the motoric and sensory nerve system.In treatment, hypnosis was ineffetive. As the low-frequency device was applied, however, har paralyzed lower limbs as well as the convulsive attack and anesthesia were improved without particular madical endevour. She has no symptoms since then. The present paper includes some comments and discussion in regard to her illness.
