Intestinal Perforation Due to Foreign Body Ingestion in a Schizophrenic Patient.
BACKGROUND
Ingestion of foreign bodies has been previously reported in some patients with schizophrenia. This behavior may be a manifestation of delusional beliefs or a response to command hallucinations and can lead to severe complications.


METHODS
This paper reports a patient with schizophrenia who, as a manifestation of his illness, ingested a metallic skewer to kill ademon inside his abdomen that he believed was controlling him. As a result, he developed an acute intestinal perforation and underwent surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
It is of a great importance to closely monitor the therapy compliance of patients suffering from mental illnesses. This will benefit them by preventing some of the serious complications of their disease, which may include life-threatening conditions such as intestinal perforation that needs surgical intervention.
Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA.
Mina
M
Zarei
Mental Health Research Center of Tehran, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
Behnam
B
Shariati
Research Center of Addiction and Behavioral Sciences, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, IR Iran; Diabetes Research Center ,Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, IR Iran.
Reza
R
Bidaki
Acute, Intestinal Perforation; Schizophrenia