Eating disorders and celiac disease: a case report.
OBJECTIVE
Although chronic physical illness may be associated coincidentally with an eating disorder, some clinicians may overlook the possibility that another medical illness may coexist and contribute concurrently to symptoms such as peculiar eating behaviors, restrictive eating, and/or vomiting accompanied by body dissatisfaction. We present a 31-year-old single woman initially diagnosed with an atypical eating disorder.


METHODS
After a gastroenterology consultation prompted by the atypical characteristics of her eating disturbance, the diagnosis of celiac disease was established.


RESULTS
Cause-and-effect relationships between anorexia nervosa and celiac disease are unclear, and celiac disease may lead to confusion in the differential diagnosis of anorexia nervosa.


CONCLUSIONS
Particularly in atypical cases, and in cases where nausea and bloating are prominent complaints, workup for celiac sprue may reveal the presence of this condition. In such instances, patients may achieve additional relief through the implementation of gluten-free diets.
Yucel
Basak
B
Department of Psychiatry, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. byucel@superonline.com
Ozbey
Nese
N
Demir
Kadir
K
Polat
Aslihan
A
Yager
Joel
J
D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; D001706:Biopsy; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004386:Duodenum / Q000473:pathology; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology