Patient Simulating Chest Pain

Excerpt

To the editor: Devereux and Miller (Ann Intern Med 80:283-284, 1974) reported the case of a young nurse who simulated pulmonary embolism. We have recently seen a patient who is probably the same person.

A 27-year-old licensed practical nurse was admitted to the Osler service in September, complaining of severe crushingchest pain aggravated by breathing. She stated that she had two laminectomies in 1969 and developed calf vein thrombosis with pulmonary embolism after surgery. She claimed that she subsequently suffered at least 20 episodes of deep vein thrombosis and had 12 pulmonary emboli. Her previous surgical procedures included inferior vena