Stiff-person syndrome presenting as eating disorder: a case report.
OBJECTIVE
To report a case of a 35-year-old female initially treated for anorexia nervosa who was found to have Stiff-Person Syndrome (SPS).


METHODS
Case report.


RESULTS
The patient reported panic attacks at meal times that were found to consist of tetanic contractions of the axial musculature. Swallowing initiated reflexive painful muscle spasms that consequently resulted in cibophobia and significant weight loss. Her serum tested positive for anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies, and she subsequently improved with appropriate treatment for SPS.


CONCLUSIONS
SPS has not been previously reported in the context of eating disorders, although it has been linked to other psychiatric disorders. Often the psychiatrist may be the first physician to diagnose SPS. We present this case to alert practitioners to the potential co-morbidity and symptom overlap between SPS and eating disorders, to aid in early recognition and appropriate treatment of this rare illness.
Cuturic
Miroslav
M
South Carolina Department of Mental Health, and University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA. mirocuturic@yahoo.com
Harden
Laurie M
LM
Kannaday
Melissa H
MH
Campbell
Nioaka N
NN
Harding
Richard K
RK
D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000150:complications*; D016750:Stiff-Person Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*