title: Anorexia nervosa: a mistaken diagnosis.
abstract: Eating disorders in the form of anorexia and bulimia are becoming increasingly common in young adults and children. Most of the patients are initially seen by their general practitioner (GP) and it may take several months before the facts are pieced together and an underlying eating disorder is identified. However, other medical conditions, albeit rare, should be considered when assessing these young adults as potentially missing them can lead to devastating consequences. This case highlights how a 15-year-old girl who presented to her GP with a history suggestive of an eating disorder and had a body mass index below the 0.4th centile, in fact had classical symptoms and clinical signs of primary adrenal failure, or Addison's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Kent, Aylesford, UK.
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nicholls
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Kent, Aylesford, UK.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boggis
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Kent, Aylesford, UK.
authors.forename: Nikila
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pandya
mesh_terms: D000224:Addison Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000293:Adolescent; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000473:pathology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans