SELF-INFLICTED OCULAR INJURIES - DIFFERENTIAL-DIAGNOSIS OF A SELF-INFLICTED CORNEAL LANCINATING INJURY

Background Recognising self-inflicted injuries is the prerequisite to initiate specific, psychiatric, therapy of the often underlying psychiatric disorders. The differential diagnosis of Oedipism, self-inflicted ocular injury, includes Munchhausen's-syndrome, neuroses and schizophrenic psychoses. Patient We present a patient in whom a self-inflicted corneal lancinating injury was the first sign of an acute relapse of his previously known paranoid-halluzinating schizophrenia, requiring immediate treatment. Conclusion In patients with unexplained ocular disease self-inflicted ocular injury needs to be taken into consideration as the treatment of such patients requires close cooperation of Ophthalmologists and Psychiatrists.