A 45-Year-Old Woman Comes to the Office with Multiple Scratches

A 45-year-old woman comes to the office with multiple scratches, small sores, and abscesses on her left arm.  She is worried because the sores have been present for the past month and have not healed.  The patient has no idea how the sores developed and is concerned that they will spread.  She is a nurse who is well known to the staff from a similar presentation 2 years ago.  At that time, she had similar skin lesions, many of which were severely infected and did not respond to usual treatment.  Fecal bacteria were found in one of the sores.  On another occasion, the patient had a spreading infection and cellulitis that required a prolonged hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics.  She has no other medical problems.  Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's condition?

A) Borderline personality disorder
B) Conversion disorder
C) Factitious disorder
D) Illness anxiety disorder
E) Malingering
F) Somatic symptom disorder

Correct Answer:

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