Six cases of self-inflicted ocular mutilation (five unilateral and one bilateral) were seen and treated at a university hospital in the last ten years. The literature on ocular self-mutilations was also reviewed. Self-enucleation is considered one of the most severe and dramatic forms of self-mutilation. After comparing these patients' clinical and psychopathological data with the literature on ocular self-enucleation, it was concluded that: 1. It is more frequent in schizophrenic patients during acute episodes; 2. Symptoms with a strong religious content are very important; 3. Less severe forms of self-mutilation before self-enucleation are common and; 4. In many patients, self-enucleation is associated with magic beliefs related to sin, and world or personal redemption. There were other interesting aspects seen in these patients: most episodes of self-enucleation were performed many years after the beginning of the mental illness, one case of atypical ocular self-mutilation (with a gun), and a case of bilateral self-enucleation.
Self-enucleation; Self-mutilation; Religion; Schizophrenia
