REVERSIBILITY OF CEREBRAL VENTRICULAR ENLARGEMENT IN ANOREXIA-NERVOSA, DEMONSTRATED BY QUANTITATIVE MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING

Objective: To determine the reversibility of the loss of brain parench yma and ventricular enlargement in patients with anorexia nervosa afte r refeeding. Study design: Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging was performed on three groups of subjects: (1) 12 female adolescents hosp italized with anorexia nervosa, (2) the same 12 patients after nutriti onal rehabilitation, a mean of 11.1 months later, and (3) 12 healthy a ge-matched control subjects, Sixty-four contiguous coronal magnetic re sonance images, 3,1 mm thick, were obtained, With a computerized morph ometry system, lateral and third ventricular volumes were measured by a single observer unaware of the status of the patient. Results: On ad mission, patients were malnourished and had lost an average of 11.7 kg (body mass index, 14.3 +/- 2.0 kg/m(2)). After refeeding, they gained an average of 9.7 kg (body mass index, 17.9 +/- 1.5 kg/m(2)). Total v entricular volume decreased from 17.1 +/- 5.5 cm(3) on admission to 12 .4 +/- 3.0 cm(3) after refeeding (p <0.01) and returned to the normal range. The degree of enlargement of the third ventricle was greater th an that of the lateral ventricles, There was a significant inverse rel ationship between body mass index and total ventricular volume (r = -0 .63; p <0.05). Conclusion: In patients with anorexia nervosa, cerebral ventricular enlargement correlates with the degree of malnutrition an d is reversible with weight gain during long-term follow-up.