False Pregnancy or Pseudocyesis

A common cause of amenorrhea is the sudden fear that an unwanted pregnancy has occurred, and at the other end of the spectrum, the conviction by a woman, perhaps with a history of infertility, that she has achieved pregnancy. This is called pseudocyesis, or false pregnancy. This condition can mimic pregnancy sufficiently to mislead not only family but physicians and midwives. The woman with a false pregnancy may present any and all the symptoms of a true pregnancy. She may feel nauseated; her breasts may be tender; she may 5″in weight and even think she feels the baby move. A pregnancy test, which detects the presence in urine or blood of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the hormone produced by the placenta may even be positive due to certain rare tumors, The diagnosis of false pregnancy depends on physical and pelvic examination and repeated negative hCG tests and sonographic examinations. Pseudocyesis can be the result of, or lead to, serious psychological problems. Psychiatric consultation often is needed, particularly at the time the diagnosis is made.