Blood–but not Bleeding–at a Tracheotomy Site: A Case of Munchausen's Syndrome

Abstract

Munchausen's syndrome is a factitious illness in which patients fabricate medical problems in order to receive medical attention. Their “symptoms” are typical of actual medical conditions and their history is dramatic yet plausible, but no pathology can be found on imaging and other investigations. We report the case of a young woman whose Munchausen's syndrome manifested as purported bleeding from a tracheotomy site. In actuality, she had drawn the blood from an arm vein and spattered it on her neck.