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Reality and fantasies: the psychology of skin transplants
Emiliano Panconesi1, Lucio Andreassi
1Department of Dermatology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. epanconesi@dada.it
Abstract:
Skin transplants present similarities with and differences from other organ transplants (heart, kidney, liver) in the psychological sphere and in regard to symbolic and mythological references. A brief story supplies some explanations and introduces the reader to information in the psychosomatic and psycholinguistic spheres in scientific literature. We also present a list of commonly used terms that include the word skin, and cite important literary references that have some relationship with the subject of skin transplants, all to emphasize and explain why/how this topic is so emotionally involving.
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