An unusual case of attempted suicide by a depressive woman: self-inflicted intracranial stabbing

Abstract

Self-inflicted stab injury to the skull, particularly in the neurocranium, is a rare method used to commit suicide. Herein is presented a case of a 26-year old woman with a temporal wound found by her partner in their home. No weapon was found in the approximate environment and the victim said that she fell. A CT scan performed at admission to the emergency room was interpreted as being compatible with injury from falls. A second CT scan in a neurosurgical unit suggested a cranio-cerebral injury from a sharp object; aggression was suspected. The discording elements led to an interview with a psychiatrist and diagnosis of attempted suicide through the action of a knife in the context of severe depression. This is a rare case that implicates a depressive woman and stabbing directly to the neurocranium.