Mitochondrial Neurogastrointestinal Encephalomyopathy Mimicking Anorexia Nervosa

• Published in: The American journal of psychiatry Vol. 166; no. 4; pp. 494 - 495
• Main Authors: FEDDERSEN, BEREND, DE LA FONTAINE, LARISSA, SASS, JÖRN OLIVER, LUTZ, JURGEN, ABICHT, ANGELA, KLOPSTOCK, THOMAS, VERMA, ISHWAR CHANDER, MEISENZAHL, EVA, POGARELL, OLIVER
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Psychiatric Association 01.04.2009
• Subjects: Anorexia; Anorexia Nervosa - diagnosis; Anorexia Nervosa - genetics; Brain - pathology; Cachexia - diagnosis; Cachexia - genetics; Celiac disease; Chromosome Aberrations; Chromosome Deletion; Crohns disease; Diagnosis, Differential; DNA Mutational Analysis; DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics; Female; Gastrointestinal Diseases - diagnosis; Gastrointestinal Diseases - genetics; Gastrointestinal Motility - genetics; Genes, Recessive - genetics; Hereditary Central Nervous System Demyelinating Diseases - diagnosis; Hereditary Central Nervous System Demyelinating Diseases - genetics; Hospitals; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Mental institutions; Mitochondrial DNA; Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathies - diagnosis; Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathies - genetics; Mutation; Ophthalmoplegia, Chronic Progressive External - diagnosis; Ophthalmoplegia, Chronic Progressive External - genetics; Parenteral nutrition; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - diagnosis; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - genetics; Phenotype; Thymidine Phosphorylase - genetics; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0002-953X; 1535-7228
• DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2008.08101525

In addition to prominent eating disturbance in common psychiatric diseases such as anorexia nervosa, depression, and schizophrenia, such behavior and symptoms can also be prominent in mainly somatic disorders such as ju- venile Alexander disease, Klinefelter's syndrome, hypothalamic brain tumors, Lyme disease, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, achalasia, and Luft's disease. [...] thorough clinical (particularly neurological) and biochemical examinations (including CSF and urine analysis) together with MRI are essential to clearly differentiate between psychiatric and somatic origins within the spectrum of cachexia inducing disorders, especially in cases of atypical anorexia nervosa, which lack cardinal symptoms (distorted body image, intentional weight loss), and in cases in which abdominal complaints may be prominent.