[Body integrity identity disorder, relief after amputation]

Tijdschr Psychiatr. 2014;56(1):54-7.
[Article in Dutch]

Abstract

Body integrity identity disorder (BIID) is a rare condition in which a person, for no apparent physical reason, is tormented by the experience that a body-part, such as a limb, does not really belong to the body. Patients experience an intense desire for the limb to be amputated (a 'desire' formerly referred to as 'apotemnophilia'). We report on a 58-year-old male patient with BIID who froze one of his legs so that he could amputate it himself. A surgeon ultimately intervened and amputated the leg professionally. The patient was extremely relieved and was still experiencing relief at a follow-up three years later.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Amputation, Surgical / psychology*
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorders / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Leg Injuries / surgery
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Self Mutilation / psychology*