Coexistence of Munchausen's syndrome and multiple personality disorder: detailed report of a case and theoretical discussion.

Patients with factitious disorders represent an important challenge to medical and psychiatric caregivers. The literature on Munchausen's syndrome abounds with entertaining descriptions of these flamboyant patients, but rarely is there significant understanding of the mechanisms of the disease. We present a case where Munchausen's syndrome coincided with multiple personality disorder (MPD). The patient has been known to us for over 10 years, and some resolution of the Munchausen's syndrome is occurring in response to appropriate therapy for the multiple personality disorder. We point out the need to seek out dissociative phenomena in self-abusive patients, as this may provide a clue for psychodynamic understanding and rational therapy.