A 52-year-old man with schizophrenia cuts his own penis with a kitchen knife, following persistent warnings from the voices in his head.
The gory incident took place in Pune and was documented in the Open Journal of Clinical and Medical Case Reports by doctors at Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College.
According to the medical report, the man had stopped taking his medication, which likely contributed to his condition deteriorating.
He did not seek immediate medical attention and arrived at the hospital a staggering 16 hours after the self-inflicted amputation.
The patient, however, did not exhibit any suicidal intentions, attributing his actions solely to the voices in his head, which warned him of dire consequences if he did not carry out the act.
Upon examination, doctors found that the scrotal skin had become detached from the root of the penis. Recognizing the severity of the situation, medical professionals rushed the man into surgery to clean and treat the wound.
The patient was administered general anesthesia to ensure a pain-free procedure.
Following the surgery, the man remained in the hospital for seven days under close observation. During this time, the medical team reported that the stump was healing well and the patient did not experience any additional complications.
He was able to pass urine normally, indicating positive signs of recovery.
The doctors highlighted in their report that self-inflicted penile amputation, commonly known as Klingsor syndrome, is an extremely rare form of physical self-harm associated with psychological anomalies.
The syndrome, first documented in the 1990s, has seen fewer than 30 official cases reported to date.
Patients who engage in such acts typically suffer from psychiatric disorders, hallucinations, or substance abuse.