Xenomelia or Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID) is the oppressive feeling that one or more limbs of one’s body do not belong to one’s self. Some studies report absent comorbid psychiatric conditions, others point to abnormal psychological characteristics in BIID individuals.

We carried out a study in order to shed light on theseinconsistent results. Unlike many previous investigations we examined each person individually in the frame of an extensive personal interview.

We examined 15 men with BIID and 15 pair-matched control subjects. Psychiatric and psychological assessment was performed using the SCID-Interview and various self-rating scales.

The structured clinical interview did not produce any evidence for a psychotic disorder, but four BIID-participants werediagnosed with depressive disorder. The results of the self-rating scales did not reveal differences between participants with xenomelia and control participants with respect to body dysmorphic, obsessive-compulsive, schizotypal, depressive and anxiety symptoms. However, participants with xenomeliatended to be more impulsive (P = 0.07), and scored higher on borderline symptoms (P = 0.07) and dissociative symptoms (P = 0.08).

BIID is a rare, but dramatic and severe psychiatric condition. Individuals suffering from this disorder do not show major psychological or psychiatric problems and comorbidities. Suffering and depressive symptoms might be the result of the unfulfilled wish for an amputation and raise important ethical and medico-legal issues about the amputation of healthy limbs.