Objective:

To describe the presenting symptoms and related features of Emergency Department (ED) patients diagnosed as having conversion disorder.

 Methods:

Secondary data analysis was carried out of the records of ED patients who were diagnosed with conversion disorder.  Cases from March 2016 to October 2016 at a tertiary care hospital in Ahmedabad with a residency program in emergency medicine were reviewed for patient’s age, gender, presenting signs and symptoms, ED diagnostic evaluation and disposition.

Results:

Of 37 patients who were diagnosed with conversion disorder, 29 were women and 8 were men.  More than half (22) were diagnosed as having conversion disorder in the ED, and of those patients, 14 were treated on outpatient department (OPD) basis. Patient age ranged from 12 to 54 years, with a mean age of 25.56 years. Most clinical symptoms mimicked neurologic disorders (Seizure– like activity, paresis, loss of consciousness, etc). Twenty (54%) patients had computed tomography of the head and three (8%) patients had magnetic resonance imaging of the head.