Camptocormia - a Case Report

Camptocormia or 'hysterical bent back' has not been reported so far very frequently in the literature. The syndrome was described as the hysterical phenomenon to escape from hardships of military life and combat situtations by Brodie (1837). Rosanoff and Saloff (1915) named the condition as 'camptocormia'. In 1918, Hurst described the 'bent back syndrome' of soldiers in which the patient walked slowly, bending forward with shaking arms and legs, complaining of a very severe backache. On examination these patients did not reveal any positive radiological or orthopaedic abnormality except for a few hysterical features on psychiatric examination. They were subjected to a number of physical therapies but they responded to suggestive psychotherapy and hypnosis (Hurst, 1918). Belgrana (1947) reported a few cases of hysterical bent back, all were males and non-military personnels. In 1961, Kosbab was the first to report a female case of camptocormia. The past literature reveals that this illness is very rare in the population and it is interesting to know that it is much less common among females who usually present with a very wide range of hysterical symptoms.