A "Storm" of Somatic Symptoms: A Child's Reaction to a Natural Disaster Leads to Diagnostic Uncertainty.

Abstract

This case report describes a child presenting to a pediatric emergency department with a myriad of physical and psychosocial symptoms leading up to numerous consults, investigations, and treatments. Diagnostic uncertainty can occur when multiple body systems are affected and objective testing is inconclusive or within normal limits. Symptoms such as headache, abdominal pain, and feelings of helplessness or worry, together with the lack of socialization because of the symptoms, can cause isolation and abandonment from school and other activities.