Genital Self-Mutilation in Two Young Men: Case Reports and Literature Review

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Résumé

The aim of this case series was to report the diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics of self-mutilation of the external genitalia
received in the urology department of the Yalgado OUEDRAOGO University Hospital in Ouagadougou. Two cases of
self-mutilation of the external genitalia were retrospectively studied: one case of total emasculation and one case of laceration of
the root of the penis. The parameters studied were age, reason for consultation, history, psychological state, clinical signs and
treatment. The two patients were aged 27 and 29. The first was a smoker and drug user and the second a schizophrenic. The
clinical signs were marked by total removal of the penis and external genitalia in one patient and a simple laceration in the other.
Treatment was surgical and consisted of a urethroplasty and a simple suture. The psychiatric assessment was conducted
according to DSM-5 criteria and revealed acute psychotic disorder and paranoid schizophrenia, respectively. The patients
underwent multidisciplinary care with close psychiatric monitoring and postoperative urological follow-up. No cases of
recurrence of self-harm were observed within six months of treatment. Management of self-injurious lesions remains
problematic in developing countries due to the lack of microsurgical equipment.
Keywords
Self-mutilation, External Genitalia, Psychiatric History, Burkina Faso

Mots-clés

Self-mutilation, External Genitalia, Psychiatric History, Burkina Faso