Munchausen's syndrome
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈmʌnˌhaʊzənz ˈsɪnˌdroʊm/
- Specialized
:
síndrome de Munchausen
- Although pulmonary manifestations of Munchausen's syndrome have been reported, this appears to be the first documented case of tracheotomy bleeding associated with the disorder.
Examples
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Munchausen's syndrome is rare, and it is important that we recognize it to avoid becoming the instruments of pathology.
Academic text (2006) -
The young man admitted to the doctor that he suffered from Munchausen's syndrome, explaining how he frequently induced feigned illnesses.
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The treatment of Munchausen's syndrome is difficult, and it requires the help of a psychiatrist.
Academic text (2006) -
Patients with Munchausen's syndrome fabricate problems whose "symptoms" are typical of actual medical problems.
Academic text (2006) -
Munchausen's syndrome carries significant morbidity and mortality.
Academic text (2006) -
The true incidence of Munchausen's syndrome is unknown.
Academic text (2006) -
Munchausen's syndrome is a factitious illness in which patients fabricate medical problems in order to receive medical attention.
Academic text (2006) -
We report the case of a young woman whose Munchausen's syndrome manifested as purported bleeding from a tracheotomy site.
Academic text (2006) -
Patients with Munchausen's syndrome often create elaborate stories about their symptoms to seek unnecessary medical treatment.
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A physician must be cautious when diagnosing Munchausen's syndrome due to its complex presentation and the patient's potential for deception.
Synonyms
1
9.5
A condition in which a person pretends to be sick to get attention or care
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
Munchausen's + syndrome
This is an eponymous, proper-name term: 'Munchausen's' has no transparent lexical meaning for learners while 'syndrome' only signals a medical condition. The specific sense — repeatedly feigning or inducing illness for attention — cannot be derived from the constituents, so a B1 learner who knows the parts would not be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Munchausen's syndrome comes from the name of Baron Munchausen, a famous storyteller who told wild, made-up tales. Doctors used his name for a condition where people 'make up' or even cause illness in themselves to 'get attention', so the name helps you remember the idea of 'faked' sickness.