[Body integrity identity disorder, relief after amputation].
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.
R M
RM
Blom
A W
AW
Braam
N
N
de Boer-Kreeft
M P A M
MP
Sonnen
D000671:Amputation, Surgical / Q000523:psychology*; D057215:Body Dysmorphic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000523:psychology*