History Main / TelevisuallyTransmittedDisease

* Partially deconstructed as part of a [[TwoLinesNoWaiting B-Story]] in the short-lived FOX series ''Mental''. The father of one of the doctors [[ImNotADoctorButIPlayOneOnTV plays a doctor on television]] and, mimicking his acting job, diagnoses a patient with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_hatter_disease Mad hatter disease]] and orders a blood test on her. The real doctor is annoyed at his father practicing medicine without a license... until a nurse comes in and asks how he made the connection, as the disease is really rare.

* Partially deconstructed as part of a BStory in the short-lived FOX series ''Mental''. The father of one of the doctors [[ImNotADoctorButIPlayOneOnTV plays a doctor on television]] and, mimicking his acting job, diagnoses a patient with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_hatter_disease Mad hatter disease]] and orders a blood test on her. The real doctor is annoyed at his father practicing medicine without a license... until a nurse comes in and asks how he made the connection, as the disease is really rare.

The meaning of the quote above is that real patients usually have common, boring diseases; so when a patient arrives at the hospital, it's those very same common, boring diseases that doctors should check for ''first'', before even considering the remote possibilities of them contracting something rare and exotic.

* MunchausenSyndrome‎: Not that common, but the inherent drama of a patient fooling their doctors has made it a staple of TV. The "by proxy" variant where a parent sickens (or even ''murders'') their children for their doctor's attention, is even rarer, more dramatic, and thus more likely to show up on television.
** The "proxy" variant also makes it useful for criminal shows, as it is not only a disease, but a crime. ''Franchise/LawAndOrder'' has had several, most notably the [[RippedFromTheHeadlines Michael Jackson scandal ripoff]] where a woman has her granddaughter pretend to be a victim of said (alleged) molester on top of [[MoralEventHorizon poisoning her to pretend she has cancer]].

* [[SplitPersonality Multiple Personality Disorder]]: In real life this is ''so'' rare some psychiatrists doubt it actually exists at all. It's all over TV. MPD has been renamed to Dissociative Identity Disorder, but again, TV seems to forget this detail.
** Many characters with this disorder are portrayed as only have one other personality, but in fact more than half of the people that suffer from it have more than 10 and can have as many as 100 distinct personalities.
* Porphyria: A metabolic disorder that turns your skin light-sensitive and your urine deep red. Tends to turn up in the Halloween episodes of medical shows, as the former effect has led to its association with [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampirism]]. Also somewhat infamous for being the disease that afflicted King George the Third, first and so far only British monarch to be committed to an asylum. [[note]]Probably, anyway; contemporary accounts of the symptoms are mostly consistent with it but it's difficult to say for sure - though notably relatives of his have had it, which does support the theory.[[/note]]

* ''Manga/BlackJack'' does this, but much like with House, it makes a certain degree of sense - he's an incredibly skilled, incredibly expensive, unlicensed doctor - so he usually only gets hired by someone who've already failed to find relief from the general medical establishment, usually meaning rare and/or incurable diseases. (When Manga/BlackJack is around, you may as well tear the word 'Incurable' out of the dictionary...). There's always a point when rare becomes just plain made up. Lionitis is rare and highly unlikely; a telekinetic fetiform terratoma is just plain impossible (as far as we know).

* ''Film/TheSixthSense'' included a suspicion of Münchhausen Syndrome by proxy. Possibly, either the doctor or the writer had been watching too much TV (or both since [[{{Cameo}} they were the same guy]]).
* Overlapping with Theater, in ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera'', we have a spectacular case of Munchausen By Proxy. It's all the more over-the-top since the individual responsible [[spoiler:is a physician]] and the case has lasted for [[spoiler:seventeen years!]]

* The page quote is discussed in Robin Cook's ''Literature/{{Outbreak}}'' when the protagonist experiences a lot of skepticism over a diagnosis of ebola. Similarly, Jack experiences skepticism over an anthrax diagnosis in {{Vector}}. There are probably lots of other examples, since Cook has written dozens of medical thrillers.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Series/{{Sisters}} had a lot of these: infertility for both Frankie and Teddy (even though the latter had previously had a daughter already). So-called "hysterical" blindness for Teddy - after seeing her husband die from a [[ExternalCombustion car bomb]], she went temporarily blind without any physical cause but only because of the trauma (in real life going blind purely because of a psychological trauma is unheard of).

** Inverted in an episode where a patient was initially diagnosed with heat stroke, and then got progressively worse. One of the doctors, who used to specialize in third world diseases, diagnosed the patient with polio - a disease which is all but unknown in the developed world. It turns out, [[MadDoctor the doctor was poisoning the patient with thallium to mimic the symptoms of polio]]. To make a point. Yes. Clearly the doctor was insane; upon figuring out what he's done, House fired him and Foreman called the cops. It turns out Dr. Foreman's original diagnosis of heat stroke was actually correct. The episode ends with AnAesop from Dr. House about listening to the guy in charge (Foreman), whom he put in charge because he knows what he's doing (AnAesop about listening to authority coming from an anarchist is kind of ironic, but that's beyond the scope of this page).

*** That specific example justifies itself to a certain extent. House was convinced he saw an important symptom just before the crash. So, he combed through almost everyone on the bus looking for someone presenting a mysterious symptom. He happened to find one guy in the group of dozens of people who actually did have an undiagnosed condition with a small symptom (which would have developed eventually, but was not immediately life-threatening in the meantime, especially compared to the bus crash).

** Averted in the [[TearJerker most horrible way possible]] when Foreman misdiagnoses a woman, when she had a simple staph infection. Foreman's misdiagnosis killed her.
** Was also averted in one episode. House and Cuddy were on an airplane returning from a conference about rare infectious diseases. When a passenger got sick, Cuddy thought it was one of those diseases, and it seemed she might be right when another passenger displayed similar symptoms. Despite the symptoms, the passengers had entirely different things wrong with them. [[spoiler:The first had been scuba diving shortly before getting on the plane and got the bends from the rapid change in air pressure, the other was pregnant. The rest of the people puking were just suffering from a plain mass hysteria.]]

** Another episode has J.D. suspect a patient has [=SARS=]. He doesn't and everyone gets angry at him for suggesting this, because the hospital gets quarantined so no one can leave.

** Tumor causing penis to stay erect (priapism)

** Separation of adult siamese twins (played by the [[Series/CheapSeats Sklar brothers]]) who are joined at the spine and both in love with the same woman. The episode actually went to great pains to point out how completely impossible the procedure was. [[MillionToOneChance Then they succeeded in doing it.]]

** Man shot in the chest at point blank range with a bazooka.

*** This would be [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgen_insensitivity androgen insensitivity syndrome]]. Not that the average sufferer would really have enough medical problems that they would end up in the clinic except from unrelated issues.

** ''Fish. Lodged. In. Penis.'' (And if you think that this one is too absurd to be real, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candiru think again.]]. Incredible painful and disfiguring, but also vanishingly rare even in those places where candiru actually are found. There is one [[http://www.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.archive.org%2Fweb%2F20040616043555%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.internext.com.br%2Furologia%2FCasosclinicos.htm&langpair=pt%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF8 documented case]])

* Manages to make its way into ''Series/{{MASH}}'' occasionally, even though they are in a war zone. Its mostly {{averted|Trope}}, though. The most "uncommon" diseases that rolled through the 4077th were hemorrhagic fever and malaria, and in the malaria episode Klinger and another corpsman both had a reaction to the anti-malarial medication being issued. Such a reaction is TruthInTelevision and was unknown at the time (people of African descent were known to have a reaction to the medication, but people of Arab descent like Klinger were ''not'', until it started showing up).
* Played realistically on ''Series/TheGoldenGirls''. Dorothy was struck with a strange illness that left her perpetually lethargic. She had gone to several doctors and traveled to a specialist in New York, only to be told she was just getting old and should do something new like get her hair done or some nonsense. It was only after a 5th (?) opinion that she was diagnosed with the rare Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This episode was inspired by one of the produces coming down with this same disorder.

* Creator/JeffFoxworthy hangs a lampshade on it, retelling his wife's over-reaction every time she sees an article about a disease on 60 Minutes.

* ''Webcomic/TheDragonDoctors'' were formed specifically to treat rare diseases-- ''magical'' diseases. The author has been quoted as saying that since quite a lot of medical dramas just plain make up their ailments, he might as well not bother setting it in the real world. The solutions are always presented in a logical fashion, however.

-->'''Doctor''': Mr. Burns, I'm afraid you are the sickest man in the United States. You have everything.\\

'''Mr. Burns''': Hysterical pregnancy?\\

** Inverted in an episode where a patient was initially diagnosed with heat stroke, and then got progressively worse. One of the doctors, who used to specialize in third world diseases, diagnosed the patient with polio - a disease which is all but unknown in the developed world. It turns out, the doctor was poisoning the patient with thallium to mimic the symptoms of polio. To make a point. Yes. Clearly the doctor was insane; upon figuring out what he's done, House fired him and Foreman called the cops. It turns out Dr. Foreman's original diagnosis of heat stroke was actually correct. The episode ends with AnAesop from Dr. House about listening to the guy in charge (Foreman), whom he put in charge because he knows what he's doing (AnAesop about listening to authority coming from an anarchist is kind of ironic, but that's beyond the scope of this page).

** Woman with radiation poisoning emitting toxic gas from her stomach while being operated on.

** Many characters with this disorder are portrayed as only have one other personality, but in fact more than half of the people црщ suffer from it have more than 10 and can have as many as 100 distinct personalities.

* Overlapping with Theater, in ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera'', we have a spectacular case of Munchausen By Proxy. It's all the more over-the-top since the individual responsible [[spoiler: is a physician]] and the case has lasted for [[spoiler: seventeen years!]]

** Was also averted in one episode. House and Cuddy were on an airplane returning from a conference about rare infectious diseases. When a passenger got sick, Cuddy thought it was one of those diseases, and it seemed she might be right when another passenger displayed similar symptoms. Despite the symptoms, the passengers had entirely different things wrong with them. [[spoiler: The first had been scuba diving shortly before getting on the plane and got the bends from the rapid change in air pressure, the other was pregnant. The rest of the people puking were just suffering from a plain mass hysteria.]]

* As stated under Film, in ''Film/RepoTheGeneticOpera'', we have a spectacular case of Munchausen By Proxy. It's all the more over-the-top since the individual responsible [[spoiler: is a physician]] and the case has lasted for [[spoiler: seventeen years!]]

* Trans Broken Arm Syndrome: Any time a [[{{transsexual}} transgender]] person is featured, the reason they're seeing the doctor will ''always'' be related to their being trans. No matter how mundane the issue is (like a broken arm), it will ''somehow'' relate to hormones, genital reassignment, breast implants/removal, etc.

** Many characters with this disorder are portrayed as only have one other personality, but in fact more than half of the people of suffer from it have more than 10 and can have as many as 100 distinct personalities.

Related to the MillionToOneChance and ArkhamsRazor; see also YouFailYourMedicalBoardsForever. No connection to [[Film/{{Videodrome}} that TV show]] that [[BrownNote literally causes brain tumors]].

* Porphyria: A metabolic disorder that turns your skin light-sensitive and your urine deep red. Tends to turn up in the Halloween episodes of medical shows, as the former effect has led to its association with [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampirism]]. Also somewhat infamous for being the disease that afflicted King George the Third, first and so far only British monarch to be committed to an asylum. [[note]]Probably, anyway; contemporary accounts of the symptoms are mostly consistent with it but it's difficult to say for sure.[[/note]]

*** While that is the doctors' first reaction, the patient suffering from the disease gives a [[{{CrowningMomentof Awesome}} speech]] to the doctors that explains just how debilitating the disease is in her life.

* Manages to make its way into ''Series/{{Mash}}'' occasionally, even though they are in a war zone. Its mostly {{averted|Trope}}, though. The most "uncommon" diseases that rolled through the 4077th were hemorrhagic fever and malaria, and in the malaria episode Klinger and another corpsman both had a reaction to the anti-malarial medication being issued. Such a reaction is TruthInTelevision and was unknown at the time (people of African descent were known to have a reaction to the medication, but people of Arab descent like Klinger were ''not'', until it started showing up).

* ''Film/TheSixthSense'' included a suspicion of Münchhausen Syndrome by proxy. Possibly, either the doctor or the writer had been watching too much TV (or both since [[{{Cameo}} they were the same guy]])

* [[FeelNoPain Congenital Insensitivity to Pain]]: An extremely rare condition, but irresistible to TV writers for both the gruesome results of not feeling pain and its metaphorical implications. Appeared on ''Series/{{House}}'', ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', ''Series/GreysAnatomy'' and ''Series/AllSaints''), as well as an inbred family on ''Series/TheXFiles''.

* Trans Broken Arm Syndrome: Any time a [[{{transsexual transgender]] person is featured, the reason they're seeing the doctor will ''always'' be related to their being trans. No matter how mundane the issue is (like a broken arm), it will ''somehow'' relate to hormones, genital reassignment, breast implants/removal, etc.

* In ''Literature/ManiacMagee'' by Jerry Spinelli, the title character is allergic to pizza. Not any of the separate ingredients in the pizza, just... pizza itself. He breaks out into a rash, with spots that look suspiciously like pepperoni.

* [[FeelNoPain Congenital Insensitivity to Pain]]: An extremely rare condition, but irresistible to TV writers for both the gruesome results of not feeling pain and its metaphorical implications. Appeared on ''Series/{{House}}'', ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' and ''Series/GreysAnatomy'' (and the Australian hospital drama ''AllSaints''), as well as an inbred family on ''Series/TheXFiles''.

** Was also averted in one episode. House and Cuddy were on an airplane returning from a conference about rare infectious diseases. When a passenger got sick, Cuddy thought it was one of those diseases, and it seemed she might be right when another passenger displayed similar symptoms. Despite the symptoms, the passengers had entirely different things wrong with them. [[spoiler: The first had been scuba diving and surfaced too quickly, the other was pregnant. The rest of the people puking were just suffering from a plain mass hysteria.]]

** The "proxy" variant also makes it useful for criminal shows, as it is not only a disease, but a crime. ''LawAndOrder'' has had several, most notably the [[RippedFromTheHeadlines Michael Jackson scandal ripoff]] where a woman has her granddaughter pretend to be a victim of said (alleged) molester on top of [[MoralEventHorizon poisoning her to pretend she has cancer]].

-->-- Common medical saying. In TV Land, it might as well be a nuckelavee.

* Hypertrichosis: A condition that causes thick hair growth all over the body which has led it to be colloquially known as werewolf's syndrome. Appearances include ''Film/HumanNature'', ''Film/FurAnImaginaryPortraitOfDianeArbus'', ''Film/WolfGirl'', ''Series/MoonOfDesire'', the "Werewolves" episode of ''Series/{{CSi}}'' and the "[[Recap/ScreamQueensS2E1ScreamAgain Scream Again]]" episode of ''Series/ScreamQueens2015''

* ''TheDragonDoctors'' were formed specifically to treat rare diseases-- ''magical'' diseases. The author has been quoted as saying that since quite a lot of medical dramas just plain make up their ailments, he might as well not bother setting it in the real world. The solutions are always presented in a logical fashion, however.

* Parodied in ''BoyMeetsWorld''. Turns out Cory's just a hypochondriac.