Prolonged QT interval in a man with anorexia nervosa.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by the avoidance of food intake, which usually leads to a weight loss. Cardiac co-morbility is common and we can find sometimes a mass loss from the left ventricle, which can be seen by echocardiography. But the commonest complications are rhythm variations, typically bradycardia with a prolonged QT interval in up to a 40% of the cases, which altogether elevates ventricular tachycardia and sudden death risk. We present the case of a male who was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and developed asthenia, a long QT interval and also a severe both hypokalaemia and hypomagnesaemia. We intend to discuss the pathogenic paths as well as prophylactic and therapeutic measures to this potentially-lethal pathology.
Macías-Robles
María Dolores
MD
Department of Emergencies, Hospital San Agustín, Avilés, Asturias, Spain. MDMACIAS@telefonica.net
Perez-Clemente
Ana María
AM
Maciá-Bobes
Carmen
C
Alvarez-Rueda
María Asunción
MA
Pozo-Nuevo
Sergio
S