A woman claimed she was in suffering as a result of ‘crying crystal tears’. Now it has been discovered that she was faking the condition.
Satenik Kazaryan, from Armenia, had made headlines as doctors were left puzzled. She claimed crying up to 50 painful crystal tears in a day.
Doctors initially perceived that she is suffering from a rare medical condition. However, the woman is now believed to have volitionally put glass particles in her eyes.
Detail analysis of samples is still underway. However, experts believe Ms. Kazaryan is suffering from ‘Munchausen’ syndrome. Munchausen is a certain kind of mental disorder that convinces people to fake illness and commit self-harm, mostly as a means of gaining attention.
Though, Ms. Kazaryan and her mother-in-law Zemfira Mikaelya are insisting the glass tears are legit. But, Professor Anna Hovakimyan, of the Armenian Republican Ophthalmological Centre, is almost certain that isn’t the case.
The doctor said – “The crystals look like ordinary glass. I am almost 100 percent sure that the patient suffers from Munchausen syndrome”.
Irrespective of Kazaryan’s condition there is a rare genetic condition called Cystinosis. A metabolic condition caused by gene mutations which leads to crystal-like tears. However, it would take months for crystals as large as Ms. Kazaryan’s to form, not hours.
Cystinosis is curable, but Ms. Kazaryan stated that her condition worsened after she took the medication prescribed to her.
Armenian deputy health minister, Oganes Arutyunyan, commented on the woman’s case. He said that the situation was still under observation to figure out the exact details.
