Aphonia induced by conversion disorder during a Cesarean section.

Abstract

Aphonia induced by conversion disorder during surgery is a rare event. We report a woman 28 years of age who was undergoing a Cesarean section under epidural anesthesia. The patient sustained aphonia without detected neurologic deficits. Emergency consultations of a psychiatrist and neurologist were carried out in the operating room postoperatively. After a thorough medical and neurologic work-up, the consultative psychiatrist and the neurologist unanimously made the diagnosis of conversion disorder. Thirty-six hours after the operation, the patient's voice started to return. We venture on sharing the findings of this case with our fellow anesthesiologists in order to highlight discussion and illuminate the differential diagnosis. We have reviewed the literature and excluded an organic lesion as the culprit of the event.

• Authors: Kwok-On Ng, Jia-Fu Lee, Wui-Chiu Mui
• Journal: Acta anaesthesiologica Taiwanica : official journal of the Taiwan Society of Anesthesiologists (Acta Anaesthesiol Taiwan) Vol. 50 Issue 3 Pg. 138-41 (Sep 2012) ISSN: 1875-452X [Electronic] China (Republic : 1949- )
• PMID: 23026175 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Topics

• Adult
• Anesthesia, Epidural (adverse effects)
• Anesthesia, Obstetrical (adverse effects)
• Aphonia (etiology)
• Cesarean Section
• Conversion Disorder (complications)
• Female
• Humans
• Pregnancy