A review of camptocormia and an unusual case in the female

Abstract

Camptocormia is a rare low-back disorder involving an abnormal posture of extreme forward flexion. Most reports of camptocormia were of male military recruits during World Wars I and II. The differential diagnosis of the postural deformity, the psychologic formulation of camptocormia as a conversion disorder, and the treatments that have been used are reviewed. An unusual case of camptocormia in a female is presented to illustrate one psychologic basis and one form of effective treatment of this disorder.