Pneumatosis Intestinalis and Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

Background: Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI), the presence of gas within the intestinal wall, is a condition historically associated with many diagnoses and can be life-threatening. The purpose of this article is to understand PI better in the setting of malnutrition secondary to anorexia nervosa (AN), a condition not historically affiliated with PI. Patients and Methods: In this retrospective study, the clinical findings of seven patients with AN are reported. Results: The patients were all found to have PI involving the right colon, with only a single patient also found to have PI involving additional colonic areas. No patients had small intestine involvement, and most of the patients were also diagnosed with the binge-purge subtype of AN, were receiving tube feeds, and had tenderness on abdominal examination. All seven patients were managed non-operatively. Conclusions: The authors propose that there may be an association between AN and PI. Given the surgical risks associated with malnutrition, the decision to pursue surgery, in the absence of the discussed pathologic risk factors, should be made in a very thoughtful manner. Future studies are warranted to better understand this potential association between PI and AN.

Keywords: anorexia nervosa; enteral nutrition; malnutrition; pneumatosis intestinalis.