Self inflicted injury - a case report

Abstract

Self-inflicted injury is a clinical phenomenon of unknown proportion. Individuals may self-harm for medical attention, physical release, or other self-motivating factors. Self-mutilation may be seen in young, otherwise healthy adults. The case of a 38-year-old female patient is illustrated. The patient presented serially with a variety of wounds on the feet, which were later discovered to be the product of a number of episodes of self-inflicted injury. A review of recent literature is detailed and, finally, the implications and practical difficulties of this sensitive clinical situation are discussed.