title: PseudoBartter syndrome in eating disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  PseudoBartter's syndrome, a complex pattern of seemingly unrelated metabolic abnormalities, is frequently seen in patients with eating disorders, particularly those who indulge in purging behaviors. We present two cases that, despite divergent background histories and clinical presentations, possess the unifying pathophysiology that ultimately leads to this syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case report and review of literature pertaining to Bartter's and PseudoBartter's syndromes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Purging behaviors commonly result in a state of profound dehydration and chloride depletion that leads to the metabolic abnormalities characteristic of inheritable sodium and chloride renal tubular transport disorders. In the eating disorder patient, these abnormalities lead to a propensity towards marked edema formation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The metabolic and clinical manifestations of PseudoBartter's syndrome are seen more commonly than previously thought. It is important to appreciate that a complex self-perpetuating pathophysiology leads to the hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis characteristic of PseudoBartter syndrome. The metabolic abnormalities characteristic of this phenomenon should therefore be viewed in this context and the resulting predilection towards marked edema formation should be borne in mind.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Denver Health, The ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders, Denver, Colorado 80204, USA. amit.bahia@dhha.org
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bahia
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mascolo
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gaudiani
authors.forename: Philip S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Mehler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001477:Bartter Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged