Pericardial effusion requiring pericardiocentesis in a girl with anorexia nervosa.
OBJECTIVE
Silent pericardial effusion is frequently observed in patients with anorexia nervosa. The nature of the pericardial fluid could never be established, as pericardiocentesis was ethically unfeasible.


METHODS
We describe the case of a girl with anorexia nervosa in whom an initial, clinically irrelevant pericardial effusion increased rapidly, making pericardiocentesis necessary to prevent cardiac tamponade.


RESULTS
It was thus possible to exclude the inflammatory or infectious nature of the pericardial fluid, although the pathogenesis of this cardiac alteration remains obscure.


CONCLUSIONS
Echocardiographic examination appears to be strongly advisable in patients with anorexia nervosa.
Polli
Nicoletta
N
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, University of Milan, Ospedale San Luca IRCCS, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
Blengino
Simonetta
S
Moro
Mirella
M
Zappulli
Daniela
D
Scacchi
Massimo
M
Cavagnini
Francesco
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000517:prevention & control; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D020519:Pericardiocentesis / Q000379:methods*