CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Plast Surg 2014; 47(02): 252-255
DOI: 10.4103/0970-0358.138968
Case Report
Association of Plastic Surgeons of India

Camphor burns of the palm and non-suicidal self-injury: An uncommonly reported, but socially relevant issue

Ravi Kumar Chittoria
Department of Plastic Surgery, Super Speciality Block, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India
,
Devi Prasad Mohapatra
Department of Plastic Surgery, Super Speciality Block, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India
,
Meethale Thiruvoth Friji
Department of Plastic Surgery, Super Speciality Block, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India
,
S. Dinesh Kumar
Department of Plastic Surgery, Super Speciality Block, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India
,
Arjun Asokan
Department of Plastic Surgery, Super Speciality Block, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India
,
Sandhya Pandey
Department of Plastic Surgery, Super Speciality Block, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
26 August 2019 (online)

ABSTRACT

Camphor is a waxy white sublimating chemical derived from natural as well as synthetic sources and widely used in various communities worldwide for a number of medicinal, culinary, and religious reasons. Camphor is burnt as an offering to God in many religious communities. We report three incidences of self inflicted injury from burning camphor on the palm resulting in full thickness burns. Non-suicidal self-injury is socially unacceptable destruction or alteration of body tissue when there is no suicidal intent or pervasive developmental disorder and we have explored an association between this and burn injury. This report also highlights the unique social and cultural pattern of this burn injury and the importance of psycho-therapeautic help for these victims.

 
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