CASE-STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF PROLONGED AND SEVERE ANOREXIA-NERVOSA ONBONE-MINERAL DENSITY

Among the most severe sequelae of anorexia nervosa (AN) are its skelet al complications. Young women who have AN during adolescence may not a ttain their expected peak skeletal mass, and may enter adulthood with reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and an increased risk of fracture. This case history describes a young woman with severe AN that included prolonged exposure to both low body weight and amenorrhea. BMD measur ement during the acute stage of her illness revealed severe osteopenia . Six years after recovery from AN, follow-up studies demonstrated onl y modest gains in BMD, with measurements for the hip and lumbar spine that are greater than 2 SDs below the age-matched mean. (C) 1994 by Jo hn Wiley & Sons, Inc.