Dermatitis artefacta is a self-inflicted skin disease. Laboratory investigations, including histopathologic examination, are usually negative and patients do not give a clue to the correct diagnosis. Generally it is accepted to be more common in femal...
Dermatitis artefacta is a self-inflicted skin disease. Laboratory investigations, including histopathologic examination, are usually negative and patients do not give a clue to the correct diagnosis. Generally it is accepted to be more common in females with onset during and after adolescence. Lesions often are bizarrely shaped and oddly distributed, though at sites accessible to the patient. Greater awareness of dermatitis artefacta may bring about earlier correct diagnosis and treatment. The management of dermatitis artefacta needs close cooperation with a mental health professional. A 40-year-old female patient first administered with multiple square shaped, deep and superficial ulcers on face. She could not explain the cause and complained itching sensation. We treated with topical antibiotics, and the skin lesions were nearly cleared with scarring formation within 3 weeks. But new lesions appeared not only face, but also neck, both arms and trunk. Laboratory tests were normal and histopathology showed negative to exclude other diseases including bullous disease, phototoxic reaction and hydroa vacciniforme. Herein, we report a case of dermatitis artefacta and suggest that dermatitis artefacta should be considered in case of recurrent bizarre shape ulcers.