Genital self-mutilation following cannabis-induced psychosis: Klingsor syndrome – a case report

Abstract

Penile amputation is a severe injury to the penis associated with significant morbidity. It may be therapeutic, especially in patients with penile cancer, or traumatic, which could be accidental, assault, animal attack, industrial injury, self-inflicted, or circumcision-related. The most common aetiology of penile amputation in adults is self-inflicted mutilation, especially during an episode of psychosis (Klingsor syndrome). As with all trauma, initial management focuses on the assessment and resuscitation of the patient. When available, hypothermic preservation of the detached penis should be undertaken. When micro-replantation cannot be performed, older corporal reattachment  techniques may be offered. We aim to report the first case of self-inflicted penoscrotal amputation following cannabis-induced psychosis in Nigeria.