[Hysteria in children]. / Hystérie de l'enfant.

Hysteria can be found in childhood but as all nevrotic problems during the life period, it is not a fixed entity and cannot presume for the personality to come. Diagnosis is often difficult and is mostly made in pediatric unit in front of conversions symptomatology. The difference between transitory somatizations (frequent during childhood) and conversions is important to make. As part of the diagnosis, finding the underlying personality is necessary. Hysteria is mostly found during the latency period and around puberty period. Awareness is important when the diagnosis is made, to be sure to recognize all the cases and only the real one. Two common situations could be isolated: 1. when a symptom cannot be related to a somatic disorder; 2. when the seduction behavior of a maiden creates counter-attitudes of the medical team and family.