Impact of psychodynamic factors on the course and management of patients with pseudocyesis.

Comparing and contrasting two patients with pseudocyesis made it clear that differing psychodynamic factors specific to each patient resulted in divergent ways in which they sought out and used medical care. The propensity of these patients to distort reality was observed to interfere with the usefulness of sonography in convincing them that they were not pregnant. Management recommendations are suggested to aid the obstetrician in designing a treatment approach to assist the patient in accepting the diagnosis, giving up the symptom, and preventing future recurrences.