Factitious cutaneous bleeding. A case of pseudostigmata

W. W. Tunnessen Jr and I. J. Chessar

A 10 1/2-year-old girl had a ten-month history of spontaneous episodes of epistaxis and bleeding from the skin, eyes, and ears. The bizarre nature of the complaint, labeled as stigmata prior to referral, along with the altered family dynamics, led to the conclusion that the origin of the episodes was factitial. A mild case of gingivitis proved to be the source of blood for the bleeding episodes.