Gastric dilatation in a girl with former obesity and atypical anorexia nervosa.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

This case report describes a 16 year-old girl of normal weight with acute gastric dilatation due to binge eating habits.

METHOD AND RESULTS:

Psychiatric assessment revealed a history of obesity and later atypical anorexia nervosa, but no current diagnosis of a typical eating disorder. After one month of daily binges a food excess was followed by an acute massive gastric dilatation which led to a laparotomy.

DISCUSSION:

Clinicians should be aware that abnormal eating habits may cause severe somatic complications even in patients of normal weight who are not currently diagnosed as having a typical eating disorder. Careful investigation of eating habits might have resulted in therapeutic gastric emptying at an earlier stage, thus avoiding the need for surgery in our patient.

• Authors: Kristian Holtkamp, Rubin Mogharrebi, Charlotte Hanisch, Volker Schumpelick, Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann
• Journal: The International journal of eating disorders (Int J Eat Disord) Vol. 32 Issue 3 Pg. 372-6 (Nov 2002) ISSN: 0276-3478 [Print] United States
• PMID: 12210653 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Topics

• Adolescent
• Anorexia Nervosa (diagnosis, psychology)
• Bulimia (complications)
• Female
• Gastric Dilatation (etiology, physiopathology, surgery)
• Gastric Emptying (physiology)
• Humans
• Laparoscopy (methods)
• Obesity (complications)
• Severity of Illness Index