Anorexia nervosa

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Food guide pyramid

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Anorexia nervosa

Alternative Names:

Eating disorder - anorexia

Symptoms:

weight loss of 15% or greater below the expected weight
inappropriate use of laxatives, enemas, or diuretics (water pills) in an effort to lose weight
self-imposed food intake restrictions, often hidden
absence of menstruation
skeletal muscle atrophy
loss of fatty tissue
low blood pressure
dental cavities may be present with self-induced vomiting
blotchy or yellow skin
depression may be present in addition to the eating disorder
most individuals with anorexia nervosa refuse to recognize that they have an eating disorder (denial)

Signs and tests:

Diagnosis is based upon ruling out other causes of endocrine, metabolic, digestive, and central nervous system abnormalities to explain the weight loss. This could include celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, Addison's disease, and many other possible conditions.

Tests that may be used to assess cause of or damage from weight loss include:

chem-20
urinalysis
thyroid function tests
other blood and urine tests
ECG

This disease may also alter the results of the LH response to GnRH test.

Review Date: 6/22/2004
Reviewed By: A.D.A.M. editorial. Previously reviewed by Benoit Dubé, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (1/29/2001).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2004 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.