Dermatitis artefacta of the paraoral region

Factitial injuries constitute a group of lesions that relate only in the manner in which they are produced and have no particular physical appearance. The possibility of correctly diagnosing a factitial injury is difficult unless this unusual condition is considered in a differential diagnosis. In this article, a case report of factitial injury of the paraoral soft tissue in a 33-year-old white man is presented. A review of self-mutilation and of the psychological aspects of self-destructive behavior is also included.