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The occurrence of the syndrome of anorexia nervosa in male subjects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

P. J. V. Beumont ,
C. J. Beardwood  and
G. F. M. Russell
P. J. V. Beumont
Affiliation:
From the Institute of Psychiatry and the Metabolic Unit, Maudsley Hospital, London
C. J. Beardwood
Affiliation:
From the Institute of Psychiatry and the Metabolic Unit, Maudsley Hospital, London
G. F. M. Russell
Affiliation:
From the Institute of Psychiatry and the Metabolic Unit, Maudsley Hospital, London
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Synopsis

A syndrome characterized by the psychopathological features of anorexia nervosa occurs in male subjects. There have been 25 cases previously reported in the literature which appear to be fairly typical of the condition and the present paper adds the case histories of another six patients. Endocrine investigation on these patients reveals a disorder of urinary excretion levels of testosterone and of total gonadotrophic activity, which is comparable to the disturbance of sex hormones that accompanies the menstrual disturbance of female patients with anorexia nervosa. The exact nature of the endocrine disturbance in the male, however, is still less well understood than that in the female.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 2 , Issue 3 , August 1972 , pp. 216 - 231
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1972

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