Sexual offences and forensic psychiatry: Munchausen syndrome: practice question

A Forensic Medicine question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Forensic Medicine · Sexual offences and forensic psychiatry: Munchausen syndrome

Sample item

A man travels from hospital to hospital with dramatic abdominal pain, has several scars of unnecessary laparotomies and gives a falsified history, with no external gain. What is the diagnosis?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Munchausen syndrome

Munchausen syndrome is a factitious disorder in which a person fabricates illness to obtain medical attention, without external gain. Malingering differs in having a definite external goal such as compensation or avoiding duty.

Option by option

  • A. Malingering

    Malingering needs a recognisable external gain, which is absent here.

  • B. Munchausen syndrome (correct)

    Correct. Fabricated illness for attention, with no external gain, is Munchausen syndrome.

  • C. Hypochondriasis

    Hypochondriasis is fear of illness without deliberate falsification.

  • D. Somatisation disorder

    Somatisation involves genuine unexplained symptoms and not deliberate falsification.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is B, Munchausen syndrome. Munchausen syndrome is a factitious disorder in which a person fabricates illness to obtain medical attention, without external gain.

Why is "Malingering" not the answer?

Malingering needs a recognisable external gain, which is absent here.

Why is "Hypochondriasis" not the answer?

Hypochondriasis is fear of illness without deliberate falsification.

Why is "Somatisation disorder" not the answer?

Somatisation involves genuine unexplained symptoms and not deliberate falsification.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Sexual offences and forensic psychiatry: Munchausen syndrome in Forensic Medicine. Malingering differs in having a definite external goal such as compensation or avoiding duty.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Sexual offences and forensic psychiatry: Munchausen syndrome?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.