Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40688967›Full record

ArticleCureus2025

Allotriophagy in a Patient With Schizophrenia: A Case Report.

Sarah B Guttman, Mateus R Alessi, Enzo S Carioni, Bruna Furukawa, Valentina G Ramos, Gabriella Shinmi, Carlos Naufel, Alexandre K Mousfi, Sivan Mauer

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Sarah B GuttmanMedicine, Universidade Positivo, Curitiba, BRA.
Mateus R AlessiMedicine, Universidade Positivo, Curitiba, BRA.
Enzo S CarioniSurgery, Mackenzie Evangelical University Hospital, Curitiba, BRA.
Bruna FurukawaMedicine, Evangelical Mackenzie Faculty of Parana, Curitiba, BRA.
Valentina G RamosMedicine, Evangelical Mackenzie Faculty of Parana, Curitiba, BRA.
Gabriella ShinmiMedicine, Mackenzie Evangelical University Hospital, Curitiba, BRA.
Carlos NaufelGeneral Surgery, Mackenzie Evangelical University Hospital, Curitiba, BRA.
Alexandre K MousfiPsychiatry, Mackenzie Evangelical University Hospital, Curitiba, BRA.
Sivan MauerPsychiatry, Evangelical Mackenzie Faculty of Parana, Curitiba, BRA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Allotriophagy, also known as pica, is an eating disorder characterized by the recurrent and compulsive ingestion of non-nutritive substances, such as metals, glass, and paper. This behavior may be associated with various medical and psychiatric conditions, being frequently reported in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that impairs an individual's cognitive and behavioral functioning, potentially leading to heightened impulsivity and risky behaviors, such as the ingestion of foreign objects. This case report aims to describe an episode of allotriophagy in a schizophrenic patient, discussing its clinical and therapeutic implications. The patient, a male with a prior diagnosis of schizophrenia, exhibited recurrent episodes of object ingestion, including pens, toothbrushes, cardiac monitoring electrodes, and glass fragments. During hospital admission, surgical interventions were performed to remove the foreign bodies, alongside adjustments to psychiatric treatment with antipsychotics and mood stabilizers. Despite these measures, the patient persisted in compulsive ingestion behavior, requiring multiple hospital readmissions. This case highlights the complexity of the clinical and psychiatric management of allotriophagy associated with schizophrenia, emphasizing the need for multidisciplinary therapeutic approaches. Continuous reassessment of psychiatric treatment, psychosocial support, and containment strategies are essential to minimize risks and reduce the recurrence of this behavior. It is concluded that allotriophagy in schizophrenic patients poses a significant challenge to medical practice, necessitating integrated protocols that combine clinical monitoring, effective pharmacological interventions, and ongoing social support. Furthermore, the scarcity of longitudinal studies on the relationship between allotriophagy and schizophrenia underscores the need for further research to explore therapeutic alternatives and preventive strategies.

Indexed as

eating disordersemergency psychiatrypicapsychiatryschizophrenia

Identifiers

PMID40688967
PMCPMC12276046

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.