Conversion disorder presenting in a patient with an implantable morphine pump and an epidural abscess resulting in paraplegia

Conversion disorders are symptoms or deficits affecting voluntary motor or sensory function that suggest a neurological or medical condition. The psychological symptoms associated with the medical condition must be preceded by conflict or other stressors. We present an individual who developed conversion disorder and paraplegia secondary to a sterile epidural abscess near the tip of her surgically implanted, epidural morphine infusion pump. She manifested at varying times both transient bilateral blindness and pseudoseizures consistent with a diagnosis of conversion disorder. Neurological evaluation for seizure activity and meningitis were negative. The etiology of the sterile epidural abscess remained unknown. The essential features of conversion disorder, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, are discussed. Treatment of patients diagnosed with conversion disorder remains primarily supportive, with the focus on consistency and behavioral management. Extreme caution is suggested in regards to further investigations. (C) 1997 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.