All issues > Volume 51(2); 2008

Case Report

Korean J Pediatr. 2008;51(2):209-213. Published online February 15, 2008.

Pericardial effusion in three cases of anorexia nervosa

Young Kuk YK Cho¹, Su Jin SJ Yang², Jae Sook JS Ma¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Chonnam National University Medical School and Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Gwangju, Korea
²Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School and Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Gwangju, Korea

Correspondence Jae Sook JS Ma ,Email: cardiol@jnu.ac.kr

Abstract

In young adolescent girls, anorexia nervosa is a significant cause of weight loss, and hospital admissions among children and adolescents. Anorexia nervosa is a life-threatening disorder, with about one-third of deaths caused by cardiac complications. A high rate of pericardial effusion has been recently reported in patients with anorexia nervosa, although relatively few cases require pericardiocentesis. Here, we describe three patients with anorexia nervosa who were diagnosed with large pericardial effusions. To prevent cardiac tamponade, pericardiocentesis was performed in two girls.

Keywords :Pericardial effusion, Anorexia nervosa, Cardiac tamponade