Abstract
The skin is an important organ of communication and plays an important role in socialization throughout life. The skin is the interface between the individual and the physical and social environment and an important medium for communication. The self-inflicted ulcerations are the type of ulcerations which are caused by repeated injuries by patients themselves knowingly or unknowingly. It may masquerade as numerous dermatological disorders and should be considered after exclusion of other skin diseases. The self-inflicted dermatoses are a chronic heterogeneous group of disorders, reported to be more common among females and are generally associated with different classes of psychopathology. Knowledge of these disorders is important in the evaluation of any psychiatric patient as these disorders are essentially a cutaneous sign of psychopathology. Psychocutaneous conditions are difficult to diagnose and a challenge to treat. A study conducted in community setup in Ireland showed that 4 % wounds were pressure ulcers, 2.9 % as leg ulcers, 2.2 % as self-inflicted ulcerations, and 1.7 % as surgical wounds [1].
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Khanna, A.K., Khanna, A. (2016). Self-Inflicted Ulceration. In: Khanna, A., Tiwary, S. (eds) Ulcers of the Lower Extremity. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2635-2_19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2635-2_19
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