Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T11:01:37.747Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Acute Dilatation of the Stomach in a Patient with Anorexia Nervosa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

G. F. M. Russell
G. F. M. Russell*
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, The Mauds ley Hospital, London, S.E.5
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

It is generally believed that anorexia nervosa is due to an abnormal attitude of mind which results in an insufficient intake of food. As the term anorexia nervosa implies, many patients experience a loss of appetite, but sometimes this is not so, and vomiting is an alternative or additional device adopted by the patient to ensure a reduction in effective food intake. As a rule the patient induces vomiting by tickling her throat with her fingers, but sooner or later she becomes so proficient at vomiting that mechanical stimulation is no longer necessary. Nevertheless one should not assume that vomiting in anorexia nervosa is always under the control of the patient's will. In the patient described below vomiting became intractable and was found to be due to a physical disorder—acute dilatation of the stomach. Such a complication occurring in a severely undernourished patient is highly dangerous unless recognized early and treated effectively. The opportunity was taken to measure water absorption and gastric motility.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 112 , Issue 483 , February 1966 , pp. 203 - 207
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1966 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bliss, E. L., and Branch, C. H. H. (1960). “Anorexia Nervosa.” Psychosom. Med. Monog. Suppl., p. 61., New York.Google Scholar
Dragstedt, L. R., Montgomery, M. L., Ellis, J. C., and Matthews, W. B. (1931). “The pathogenesis of acute dilatation of the stomach.” Surg. Gynec. Obstet., 52, 1075–1086.Google Scholar
Hamburger, J., and Leger, L. (1955). “Sur la pathogénie des paralysies et des dilatations gastriques.” Bull. Soc. mid. Hop. Paris, 71, 202–206.Google Scholar
Lewis, A. J. L. (1954). “Aspetti psicosomatici della medicina.” Recenti Progr. Med., 16, 434–453.Google Scholar
Lorber, S. H., and Shay, H. (1954). “Technical and physiological considerations in measuring gastrointestinal pressures in man.” Gastroenterology, 27, 478–487.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacLean, P. D. (1960). “Psychosomatics.” Handbook of Physiology, sect. 1, vol. iii, p. 1723–1744. Washington.Google Scholar
Markowski, B. (1947). “Acute dilatation of the stomach.” Brit. med. J., 2, 128–130.Google Scholar
Murray, R. O. (1947). “Recovery from starvation.” Lancet, i, 507–511.Google Scholar
Reitemeier, R. J., Code, C. F., and Orvis, A. L. (1957a). “Comparison of rate of absorption of labelled sodium and water from upper small intestine in healthy human beings.” J. appl. Physiol., 10, 256–260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reitemeier, R. J., Code, C. F., and Orvis, A. L. (1957b). “Barrier offered by gastric mucosa of healthy persons to absorption of sodium.” Ibid., 10, 261–266.Google Scholar
Russell, G. F. M. (1960). “Dietetic treatment of patients with anorexia nervosa.” Nutrition, Lond., 14, 155–118.Google Scholar
Widdowson, E. M. (1951). “The response to unlimited food.” In: Studies of Undernutrition, Wuppertal 1946–9. Spec. Rep. Ser. Med. Res. Coun. No. 275, p. 313, London.Google Scholar
Wioley, R. D. (1960). “Potassium deficiency in anorexia nervosa with reference to renal tubular vacuolation.” Brit. med. J., 2, 110–113.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.