Autocastration as a presenting sign of incipient schizophrenia.
Previous case reports on autocastration have identified individuals who engaged in genital self-mutilation as being overtly psychotic, as having previously received a diagnosis of schizophrenia, or as having significant dysfunction of ego integrity, manifesting as guilt and low self-esteem. This paper describes a patient who had had no previous psychiatric symptoms or mental health treatment and for whom the act of autocastration was the first sign of incipient schizophrenia.
Myers
W C
WC
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0234, USA. wmyers@psych.med.ufl.edu
Nguyen
M
M
D000328:Adult; D003702:Delusions / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012067:Religion; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy