Aalouane R, Lahlou F, Aarab C, Barrimi M, Zaidi K, Khelafa S, Rammouz I
Service universitaire de psychiatrie, CHU Hassan II de Fès, Fès, Maroc; Faculté de médecine et de pharmacie de Fès, université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fès, Maroc.
Service universitaire de psychiatrie, CHU Hassan II de Fès, Fès, Maroc; Faculté de médecine et de pharmacie de Fès, université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fès, Maroc.
Encephale. 2015 Feb;41(1):78-83. doi: 10.1016/j.encep.2013.06.002. Epub 2013 Oct 4.
Recurrent and intentional ingestion of metallic objects is a rare but important phenomenon. It has attracted great interest among mental health professionals over the last decades. However, this issue is rarely reported in the literature. A deep exploration of its clinical and specific psychopathological aspects remains limited.
We report the case of a 32-year-old female patient, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for homicide against her cousin, the daughter of an uncle who had raped her when she was 14. This affair was hushed by the patient's family and the patient was submitted to several acts of abuse by her family. Following her incarceration, she repeatedly ingested metallic objects requiring repeated admissions in a department of surgery for endoscopic extractions or surgical interventions. She impulsively ingested more than 30 times various metallic objects such as wire, razor blades, spoons, etc., under the pressure of impulsiveness and massive anxiety. Voluntary metal ingestions, associated with iterative self-mutilation behaviors, took place within the framework of a borderline personality disorder, the incarceration and the conditions of imprisonment playing a role in initiating and retaining the behavior.
Through this case report, we examine the specific psychiatric aspects of intentional ingestion of metallic objects in order to better understand this behavior.
反复故意吞食金属物品是一种罕见但重要的现象。在过去几十年里，它引起了心理健康专业人员的极大兴趣。然而，这一问题在文献中鲜有报道。对其临床和特定精神病理学方面的深入探索仍然有限。
我们报告一例32岁女性患者的病例，该患者因杀害其表妹（她14岁时强奸她的叔叔的女儿）被判处20年监禁。此事被患者家属隐瞒，患者还遭受了家属的多次虐待。入狱后，她反复吞食金属物品，需要多次入住外科进行内镜取出或手术干预。在冲动和巨大焦虑的压力下，她冲动地吞食了30多次各种金属物品，如电线、剃须刀片、勺子等。与反复自残行为相关的自愿吞食金属行为发生在边缘型人格障碍的背景下，监禁和监禁条件在引发和维持这种行为方面起到了作用。
通过本病例报告，我们研究了故意吞食金属物品的特定精神方面，以便更好地理解这种行为。
