Pseudologia fantastica or factitious illness disorder, an especially grotesque form of pathological lying, named after BARON von MUNCHAUSEN.

           Patients fabricating disease by mutilating and poisoning themselves, or just lying. Playing mind games with physicians and nurses. Adult munchausen patients manage to get hospitalized repeatedly, medicated needlessly, even cut open on the operating table.

              Causes and Symptoms
      
             The exact cause of munchausen syndrome is not known. It has been theorized that munchausen patients are motivated by a desire to be cared for, a need for attention, dependency, an ambivalence toward doctors, and a need to suffer. Factors that may predispose an individual to munchausen include a serious illness in childhood or an existing personality disorder.
             
              Many Munchausen patients are very familiar with medical terminology and symptoms. Some common complaints include fever, rashes, abcesses, bleeding, and vomiting. Patients may push for invasive diagnostic procedures and display an extraordinary depth of knowledge of medical procedure.