Tongue self-injury. Case report

Abstract

Self-injury (SA) is behavioral disturbance consisting of deliberate, conscious harm withoutsuicidal intent. Its characteristics are: socially unacceptable, direct, repetitive and causes mild or moderate tissue damage. It can be: a) functional, the individual deliberately causes the injury in order to attract attention; and b) organic, the individual produces the injury unconsciously, compulsively and without specific intention. Treatment depends on each situation; It can be: behavior modification, pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, mouth guards and in extreme cases dental extractions. The objective of this report is to present a case and review the literature of this pathology that can be the first sign of a psychiatric disorder, hence the importance of a timely and correct diagnosis. 9-year-old boy, the mother refers: "irregularly shaped, whitish in the center with a fibrin-like appearance, approximately 1x1x0.3cm located on the left lateral border between the limit of the middle and posterior third of the tongue. The diagnosis was clinical, made by an oral pathology specialist, according to the characteristics of the lesions and the patient's behavioral history. The treatment was interdisciplinary (pediatric dentistry, oral pathology and psychology) with the permanent motivation of the family and the patient, observing an improvement in the tissues.