[Factitious disease in surgery. The problem of the self-induced disorder of wound healing]

Self-inflicted disorders of wound healing (lasting for 18 to 84 months and requiring 85 surgical interventions) were diagnosed in ten patients (8 women and 2 men, aged 29 years) nine of whom had undergone various operations. Retrospectively the indications for the primary operation (appendectomy in four, mastectomy, cholecystectomy, adnexectomy, removal of a lipoma and incision of a perineal abscess in one each) had not been unequivocal. One woman was also anorexic, two had "psychogenic seizures", and three had marital or partner problems. One man who had a self-inflicted skin emphysema committed suicide two years later, and one woman died of septicaemia after a self-induced wound healing disorder. The wound healing disorders finally healed in seven patients. Psychotherapy was successful in two patients.