Rare case report of Van Gogh syndrome in a patient with paranoid schizophrenia
AbstractSelf-mutilation is often associated with psychiatric disorders. We describe here a 22-year-old male Indian with decreased sleep, aggressive behaviour, self-muttering, disorganised behaviour, frequent spitting, biting and self-mutilation; he bit off his right ring finger and left thumb (Van G...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2020-03-01
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| Series: | General Psychiatry |
| Online Access: | https://gpsych.bmj.com/content/33/1/e100095.full |
| Summary: | AbstractSelf-mutilation is often associated with psychiatric disorders. We describe here a 22-year-old male Indian with decreased sleep, aggressive behaviour, self-muttering, disorganised behaviour, frequent spitting, biting and self-mutilation; he bit off his right ring finger and left thumb (Van Gogh syndrome). Self-harm behaviour was frequently evidenced by family members resulting in various injuries. The patient was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was treated with anti-psychotics which resulted in a decrease in his behavioural disturbances along with treatment for his self-mutilation injuries. Here we discuss Van Gogh syndrome’s presentation of self-mutilation in paranoid schizophrenia and its implications. |
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| ISSN: | 2517-729X |