Severe Burns and Amputation of Both Arms in the First Psychotic Episode of a Schizophrenic Patient

An alleged reduction of sensitivity to pain in people with schizophrenia has been reported, but the nature of this complex phenomenon has not been elucidated yet. Reports of insensitivity to burns from people with schizophrenia are extremely rare. We report the case of a 24-year-old man who set both...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lizardo Cruzado, Ronald Villafane-Alva, Katia Caballero-Atencio, Carla Cortez-Vergara, Patricia Núñez-Moscoso
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Psychiatry
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/405713
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:An alleged reduction of sensitivity to pain in people with schizophrenia has been reported, but the nature of this complex phenomenon has not been elucidated yet. Reports of insensitivity to burns from people with schizophrenia are extremely rare. We report the case of a 24-year-old man who set both of his arms on fire during the first break of paranoid schizophrenia. As a result of severe tissue damage, both of his limbs had to be amputated. Today, at the age of 59, the patient is physically and mentally rehabilitated and is adherent to treatment. Additionally, given the uncertainty about the true nature of the alleged hypoalgesia in schizophrenia, we postulate the need for a comprehensive phenomenological approach in the study of embodiment in people with this condition.
ISSN:2090-682X
2090-6838