Conversion disorder with pseudohypoacusis and aphonia in a male patient: a case report

Conversion disorder (CD) is a somatoform disorder characterized by symptoms that go through one or more symptoms or deficits that occur in sensory or voluntary motor functions and cannot be explained by any anatomical or pathophysiological lesions. The onset or exacerbation of the disease usually occur after conflicts or psychological stress factors. Symptoms are deliberately unexploited by patients, and are felt genuine. Pseudohypoacusia is defined as hearing loss that is incompatible with clinical evaluation. It is synonymous with nonorganic or functional hearing loss. It is well-described by audiology and otolaryngology in the literature. The prevalence is 2–7% in children and 2–9% in adults pseudohypoacusis has been reported to be more common in young women and children. The psychogenic aphonia, previously referred to as the ‘hysterical aphonia’, is the inability of a person to make sound when there is no underlying organic cause. Psychogenic aphonia was reported in 0.4% of the general population and 8 times more common in women than in men. In this case, a 34-year-old male patient developed pseudohypoacusis and aphonia after a long period of psyhological stress will be mentioned.

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