title: Abdominal aortic occlusion and vascular compromise secondary to acute gastric dilatation in a patient with bulimia.
abstract: Acute gastric dilation is a rare but recognised complication in patients with bulimia and anorexia following binge episodes owing to decreased bowel motility. We present a rare case of acute gastric dilation secondary to bulimia in an otherwise healthy 18-year-old female patient that resulted in compression and complete occlusion of the abdominal aorta, leading to acute mesenteric and bilateral lower limb ischaemia. This resolved immediately following a laparotomy and gastric decompression. Management of these patients is very challenging owing to the lack of a successful precedent. To our knowledge, such a catastrophic complication has only ever been reported once in the literature and the outcome was fatal. Our case is of additional importance as it offers a successful management strategy for these patients.
authors.affiliation: Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elsharif
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Doulias
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Aljundi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Balchandra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D013271:Gastric Dilatation / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy