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Etiology of Male Genital Self-Mutilation

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Urogenital Trauma: A Practical Guide

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Abstract

GSM can be understood as a special part of apotemnophilia (from Greek words “apo” = away from, “temno” = piece cut off, and “philia” = love) which is simply defined as an overwhelming or obsessive desire to have a healthy limb or organ amputated. Dermatillomania is a very minor stage of apotemnophilia consisting of skin-picking, scratching, and excoriation [1]. Importantly, genital dermatillomania was reported to cause recurrent penile ulcers that prompted multiple reconstructive surgeries ending in penis loss in one patient [2]. The tendency for repetitive self-mutilation is also referred to as “Van Gogh syndrome” after the famous Dutch painter who cut off the lower half of his left ear and gave it to a prostitute [3].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, The Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman

    Said Abdallah AL-Mamari

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AL-Mamari, S.A. (2023). Etiology of Male Genital Self-Mutilation. In: Urogenital Trauma: A Practical Guide. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6171-9_52

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6171-9_52

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-99-6171-9

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