TWO CASE REPORTS OF SELF-MUTILATION OR VAN GOGH SYNDROME

Abstract

Studies have shown that there are psychiatric patients who tend to aggressively mutilate themselves; they burn or in most cases attempt to burn themselves, attempt to severely damage their genital organs (especially amputate their penis), castrate themselves, axtract their own eyes, amputate their own hands, or commit suicide. This report introduces two psychiatric men, aged 40 and 47, who had undergone surgical operations in Urology Department of Imam-Khomeini Hospital, Tabriz, Iran, because of self-amputating their penis and, on discharge from Urology Ward, were referred to Razi Psychiatric Center for psychiatric consultation. Our assessment revealed that one of these patients was affected with psychotic-type major depressive disorder and the other with borderline personality disorder. Such cases of self-mutilating behavior emphasize the significance of recognizing the alarming signs of self-mutilation.