Late onset anorexia nervosa: two case reports.
OBJECTIVE
Some patients develop an eating disorder at a late age. It is worth investigating why this syndrome develops at such widely different ages.


METHODS
Two Japanese cases of late onset anorexia nervosa are reported.


RESULTS
In these late onset cases, anorexia developed out of sadness over a loss such as bereavement, divorce, and fear or anxiety for the future. In addition, these two patients didn't demonstrate a fear of aging or of losing their attractiveness and sexuality, nor did they develop a dissociative disturbance based on an early traumatic history of sexual abuse in PTSD.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the clinical features are similar, there appear to be differences between late onset and adolescent cases in psychological mechanisms.
Inagaki
Takuji
T
Department of Psychiatry, Shimane Medical University, Enya, Izumo, Japan. inagaki@shimane-med.ac.jp
Horiguchi
Jun
J
Tsubouchi
Ken
K
Miyaoka
Tsuyoshi
T
Uegaki
Jun
J
Seno
Haruo
H
D000367:Age Factors; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001601:Bereavement; D004243:Divorce / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index