Severe anorexia nervosa with hepatic and cardiac abnormalities: a case report

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder characterised by abnormal body weight, an excessive fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of body weight and shape, which can lead to various physical consequences.This disease can be accompanied by complications in multiple systems, which can affect the effectiveness of treatment and prognosis. The treatment burden is heavy and the mortality rate is relatively high. Here, we present the treatment of a young female patient diagnosed with severe anorexia nervosa, exhibiting a meager body weight, with the lowest BMI of 8.6. She displayed both liver and cardiac damage. Complications associated with anorexia developed progressively during the course of disease, with impaired liver and heart function being prominent and contributing to a critical condition that could potentially culminate in an unfavorable outcome. These symptoms showed gradual improvement with a carefully planned, multidisciplinary, collaborative, and step-by-step approach to nutritional supplementation, her body weight climbed up gradually as well. The success of this case may provide a reference for the future diagnosis and treatment of patients with similar conditions.