Conversion Disorder Coexisting with a Depressive Illness in a Nigerian Teenager: A Case Report

Abstract

Conversion disorder presents with neurological symptoms such as altered voluntary motor, cognitive, or sensory functions that are not consistent with any recognised neurological disease. These symptoms are real, and no medical disease could account for them, thus causing a diagnostic conundrum. This case report describes a teenage girl who, following her father's demise, developed difficulty with breathing of sudden onset, limb twitches, stiff neck, and inability to walk. She had multiple hospital visits, but all the findings of laboratory investigations were essentially normal. The patient was managed with a multimodal approach that included psychotherapy, use of antidepressant medications, and family support. She recovered and could return to her routine after six months while still on clinic follow-up care. The objective of the report is to sensitise primary care physicians to assess patients holistically, including mental health status, especially when they present with medically unexplained symptoms. In addition, this case report seeks to increase the awareness of primary care physicians on conversion disorder, which is thought to be rare in our environment.