Reassessment of patients with Eating Disorders after moving from DSM-IV towards DSM-5: a retrospective study in a clinical sample.

PURPOSE: To compare the relative prevalence of eating disorders moving from DSM-IV to DSM-5, and to reassess the overall medical impairment in the revised diagnostic classes. METHODS: We applied DSM-5 to 206 patients (age 15-56 years) previously studied and classified according to DSM-IV. Medical impairment was classified as low, medium, or high, based on a cumulative score of clinical severity (SCS), computed as the sum of specific weights assigned to different pathological conditions and their ascertained prognostic impact. RESULTS: Application of DSM-5 produced a decrease in Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) by 17 %, an increase in anorexia (AN) by 14 % and bulimia (BN) by 2.4 %; 44.6 % of EDNOS migrated to AN, 8 % to BN, and 30.8 % was reclassified as Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED). Mean SCS was higher in AN than in other diagnoses independent of classification. Differently from EDNOS, no high score was found in OSFED. BMI (OR 0.74, 95 % CI 0.56-0.98) and duration of amenorrhea >1 year (OR 6.63, 95 % CI 1.29-34.16) resulted significantly associated with the risk for medium-high SCS level in AN classified with DSM-5. CONCLUSION: The results confirmed that DSM-5 reduces the number of EDNOS. DSM-5 seems to better represent the clinical picture in OSFED than in EDNOS. The clinical relevance of BMI and duration of amenorrhea should be considered even more now that they are no longer used as diagnostic hallmarks of AN.

Somatic involvement assessed through a cumulative score of clinical severity in patients with eating disorders.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the overall somatic involvement in patients with eating disorders (EDs). METHODS: The medical records of 206 patients (age 15-56 years, 96.1% females) with diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (AN, n = 63, 30.6%), bulimia nervosa (BN, n = 78, 37.9%), or eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS, n = 65, 31.6 %) were analyzed. A cumulative score of clinical severity (SCS) was computed according to the presence of physical, instrumental, and laboratory abnormalities, as well as to their prognostic impact. Based on the tertile distribution of SCS, three levels of severity were defined: low, medium, and high. RESULTS: A medium/high level of severity was found in 63% of the whole sample, 89% of AN, 49% of BN, and 55% of EDNOS. In the whole sample, the risk of medium/high SCS was significantly and inversely related to the body mass index (BMI) and to the lifetime minimum BMI. The severity level was significantly and positively associated with diagnosis of AN, duration of amenorrhea C1 year, and presence of ED-related symptoms. EDNOS patients showed a higher risk for increased SCS than BN patients, although not significantly. CONCLUSION: The non-negligible frequency of a relevant somatic involvement in patients with EDNOS suggests that a transdiagnostic scoring system might be helpful to identify ED cases at risk of medical complications.

Anorexia nervosa: from purgative behaviour to nephropathy. a case report.

BACKGROUND: Individuals who suffer from Anorexia Nervosa refuse to maintain a minimally normal body weight, are intensely afraid of gaining weight and exhibit a significant disturbance in the perception of the shape and size of their body. Postmenarchal females with this disorder are amenorrohic. In the Binge-Eating/Purging subtype individuals regularly engage in binge eating and purging behaviour (i.e self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas).Hypokalaemia is often seen in chronic Anorexia Nervosa, especially that of the purging type (ANp), and, as well as electrocardiographic anomalies, this can lead to tubulointerstitial nephritis (hypokalaemic nephropathy) with typical histological characteristics. The physiopathological mechanisms behind this damage are linked to altered stimulation of vasoactive mediators, and to the ammonium-mediated activation of the alternative complement pathway. However, it has not yet been ascertained whether a variant of the pathway specific for ANp 1, exists. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe herein a case of hypokalaemic nephropathy in a patient affected by chronic ANp who presented to our Centre for Eating Disorders. CONCLUSION: Hypokalaemia can provoke cardiovascular alterations as well as muscular and renal complications, and thus potential renal damage needs to be investigated in patients suffering from long-term purgative anorexia.

Pregnancy in severe anorexia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: Anorexia nervosa among Arabian girls seems to be rare and pregnancy in condition of extreme underweight seems to be rare as well. METHOD: We report the case of a 19-year-old Arabian girl living in Italy who referred to an Eating Disorder Unit for her anorexic condition. RESULTS: She arrived for a consultation when she was at her 33rd week of pregnancy at a Body Mass Index lower than 14. CONCLUSION: The present case aims to underline the need of medical and psychological attention to pregnancy in anorexia nervosa cases.

Sonographically guided biopsy and sonographic monitoring in the diagnosis and follow-up of 2 cases of sarcoidosis with hepatic nodules and inconclusive thoracic findings.

OBJECTIVE: To report 2 cases in which abdominal sonography played a useful role in diagnosing sarcoidosis with early nodular hepatosplenic manifestations. METHODS: In the first case, an asymptomatic woman with increased liver enzyme values underwent sonography, which showed multiple hypoechoic nodules in the liver and spleen. Computed tomography confirmed the hepatosplenic findings and showed micronodular infiltrates of both lung fields, without hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. In the second case, in a woman with a cough, dyspnea, and increased liver enzyme levels, thoracic computed tomography showed right pleural effusion causing partial atelectasis of the lower and middle lobes and mediastinal lymphadenopathy. RESULTS: Sonography and computed tomography showed multiple nodules of the liver and spleen and retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. In both cases, bronchoscopy, bronchial and bronchioloalveolar lavages, and transbronchial and mediastinal biopsies had negative results. Sonographically guided biopsy of the hepatic nodules was carried out and sarcoid granulomas were detected in the portal areas. After 3 months of steroid therapy, liver enzyme values nearly normalized, and sonography showed the disappearance of all abdominal lesions. The first patient underwent control computed tomography, which confirmed the regression of the disease; the second patient refused control computed tomography. CONCLUSIONS: Sarcoidosis can occur with atypical onset, and in selected cases sonography may play a useful role in its diagnosis and follow-up.

[Community-acquired pneumonia: outcomes and costs]. / Le polmoniti acquisite in comunità: considerazioni cliniche e farmaco-economiche.

The number of patients admitted with community acquired pneumonias (CAP) varies greatly from one hospital to another. Prognostic models for CAP can help physicians decide which cases to treat on an outpatients basis. Our aims were: a) to validate a model for predicting low-risk CAP, and b) to estimate savings that would have resulted if the low-risk patients identified by the model had been treated at home rather than in hospital. The prediction rule of Fine et al. was used to classify retrospectively 260 CAP patients. Mortality in each category was compared with the mortality predicted. Patients in the lowest risk categories were considered to have been inappropriately admitted. The predictive model used has been found useful for identifying patients at very low-risk of dying from CAP. Application of the model can lead to savings.