Pain as relief
Introduction Dermatitis artefacta (DA) is a condition whereby self-induced skin damage is the means used to satisfy a desire to assume the sick role. Objectives To describe clinical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and evolution of an 15 years-old woman with DA. Methods Retrospective review of...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2021-04-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821006593/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797617649121755136 |
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| author | P. García Vázquez R. Gomez Martinez |
| author_facet | P. García Vázquez R. Gomez Martinez |
| author_sort | P. García Vázquez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
Dermatitis artefacta (DA) is a condition whereby self-induced skin damage is the means used to satisfy a desire to assume the sick role.
Objectives
To describe clinical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and evolution of an 15 years-old woman with DA.
Methods
Retrospective review of clinical records, including dermatology, psychiatry and Pathology.
Results
A 15-year-old woman, who come to the Child Psychiatry consultations derived by the Dermatology Service, which is attended by the appearance of multiple bullous lesions throughout the body. Since August, the patient has reported a worsening of her mood, with feelings of loneliness and vital emptiness, with somatic and psychic anxiety referred. In the Dermatology office, she does not recognize self-infliction and the patient is derived to psychiatry consultation and solicited a skin biopsia. In the psychiatric interview, she recognizes that burns occur with a deodorant spray. She admitted doubts about her sexuality for months, claiming to be homosexual for the first time. When she burns, feels pleasure and relief. At the exploration: She wears a gay pride flag bracelet. Expressionless attitude. Cold contact. Approachable. Slightly collaborative. Without major affective disorders. No somatic anxiety, nor psychic. Short speech, impoverished language. Personality traits Cluster B and C. •Salamanca Questionnaire: Dependent personality, and in the background anxiety and histrionic. •Plutchik Impulsivity Scale: 14. •Toronto Alexithymia Scale: 64
Conclusions
The prognosis of the condition is variable, but it has been shown that resolution of the underlying psychosocial stressor leads to improvement. Multinucleated keratinocytes, a pathognomonic lesion of cryodermatitis artefacta, are discovered in the Pathology.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:58:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7b7c341a89824e4bb5b74c301dbf5e85 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:58:50Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-7b7c341a89824e4bb5b74c301dbf5e852023-11-17T05:05:11ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852021-04-0164S246S24610.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.659Pain as reliefP. García Vázquez0R. Gomez Martinez1Psiquiatría, Complejo Asistencial Universitario León, León, SpainPsiquiatría, Complejo Asistencial Universitario León, León, Spain Introduction Dermatitis artefacta (DA) is a condition whereby self-induced skin damage is the means used to satisfy a desire to assume the sick role. Objectives To describe clinical evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and evolution of an 15 years-old woman with DA. Methods Retrospective review of clinical records, including dermatology, psychiatry and Pathology. Results A 15-year-old woman, who come to the Child Psychiatry consultations derived by the Dermatology Service, which is attended by the appearance of multiple bullous lesions throughout the body. Since August, the patient has reported a worsening of her mood, with feelings of loneliness and vital emptiness, with somatic and psychic anxiety referred. In the Dermatology office, she does not recognize self-infliction and the patient is derived to psychiatry consultation and solicited a skin biopsia. In the psychiatric interview, she recognizes that burns occur with a deodorant spray. She admitted doubts about her sexuality for months, claiming to be homosexual for the first time. When she burns, feels pleasure and relief. At the exploration: She wears a gay pride flag bracelet. Expressionless attitude. Cold contact. Approachable. Slightly collaborative. Without major affective disorders. No somatic anxiety, nor psychic. Short speech, impoverished language. Personality traits Cluster B and C. •Salamanca Questionnaire: Dependent personality, and in the background anxiety and histrionic. •Plutchik Impulsivity Scale: 14. •Toronto Alexithymia Scale: 64 Conclusions The prognosis of the condition is variable, but it has been shown that resolution of the underlying psychosocial stressor leads to improvement. Multinucleated keratinocytes, a pathognomonic lesion of cryodermatitis artefacta, are discovered in the Pathology. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821006593/type/journal_articleadolescenceCryothermic dermatitis artefactaPain |
| spellingShingle | P. García Vázquez R. Gomez Martinez Pain as relief European Psychiatry adolescence Cryothermic dermatitis artefacta Pain |
| title | Pain as relief |
| title_full | Pain as relief |
| title_fullStr | Pain as relief |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pain as relief |
| title_short | Pain as relief |
| title_sort | pain as relief |
| topic | adolescence Cryothermic dermatitis artefacta Pain |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821006593/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pgarciavazquez painasrelief AT rgomezmartinez painasrelief |