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Updated: May 5, 2026

Double Direct Injection of Blood into the Cisterna Magna as a Model of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Published on: August 30, 2020
[Stigmata: From Saint-Francis of Assisi to idiopathic haematidrosis]
1Departments of Dermatology, Allergology and Venereology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Skin and Allergies Hospital, Helsinki, 2, PO Box 160, 00029 Hus, Finlande.
Abstract:
"Religious" stigmata describe body marks and sores that reflect the crucifixion wounds of Christ (hands and wrists, feet, flank, back, shoulders, forehead) and which are transferred to an individual through fervent prayer. "Non-religious" stigmata usually describe spontaneous episodes of bleeding with no identifiable cause outside any religious context. Irrespective of the setting in which they occur, such lesions are extremely striking. This review intends to summarize what is currently known about stigmata in the light of current medical knowledge, while stressing that the "spontaneous" nature of these lesions does not rule out a genuine medical cause.
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