pseudocyesis
A woman experiencing pseudocyesis holds her abdomen while looking at a negative pregnancy test.
Noun: 1. A psychological condition: A physical and psychological state in which a person (most commonly a woman) experiences many of the classic signs and symptoms of pregnancy, such as abdominal enlargement, amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), morning sickness, and even the sensation of fetal movements, despite not being pregnant. It is considered a somatoform disorder, where psychological factors manifest as physical symptoms.
- Noun:
- The doctor diagnosed her condition as pseudocyesis after all pregnancy tests returned negative.
- Pseudocyesis can be a profoundly distressing experience for the individual.
- Cases of pseudocyesis have been documented throughout medical history.
- Clinical Context: The term is used almost exclusively in medical, psychiatric, and psychological literature to describe a specific clinical diagnosis.
- The study focused on the hormonal profiles of patients with pseudocyesis.
- Historical/Literary Context: It may appear in historical texts or literature describing conditions before modern diagnostic tools were available.
- In the 19th century, what was often called "hysterical pregnancy" is now understood as pseudocyesis.
- Pseudopregnancy (n): A synonymous term, often used in both human and veterinary medicine. (e.g., )
- Phantom pregnancy (n): A more colloquial, non-clinical term for the same condition.
- Somatoform disorder (n): The broader category of psychological disorders to which pseudocyesis belongs.
- Phantom pregnancy
- False pregnancy
- Hysterical pregnancy (an older, now less favored term)
The core meaning is strictly medical and psychological. It does not refer to deliberate deception or "faking" a pregnancy (which would be malingering or factitious disorder), but rather to a condition where the person genuinely believes they are pregnant and their body produces corroborating symptoms.
A woman experiencing pseudocyesis holds her abdomen while looking at a negative pregnancy test.
- physiological state in which a woman exhibits symptoms of pregnancy but is not pregnant