Oral self-injuries: clinical findings in a series of 19 patients

Abstract

Self-injury (SI) is defined as a behavioral disturbance consisting of a deliberate harm to one's own body without suicidal intent, it is not uncommon and ranges in severity from simple nail-biting to more extreme forms of self-mutilation. The head neck region may be the target of such lesions. SI is associated with several medical conditions, of which it can represent the first clinical sign. Aim of this paper is to describe a series of oral SI, giving special emphasis to the clinical findings, etiology and the management of lesions.