Examination of pericardial effusion in anorexia nervosa

Abstract

Anorexia nervosa can be fatal owing to severe complications including cardiovascular dysfunction. Pericardial effusion is often observed and reportedly emerges in 22–71% of anorexia nervosa patients. Hence, it is important to examine and monitor the amount of pericardial effusion as well as cardiac function by echocardiography in these patients. Rapid weight loss, low body weight, and hypothyroidism were proposed as possible mechanisms underlying pericardial effusion in anorexia nervosa. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the amount of pericardial effusion and the biochemical and physiological examination data to elucidate the mechanism underlying pericardial effusion in anorexia nervosa patients. The levels of free T3 and T4 demonstrated a strong negative correlation with the amount of pericardial effusion. In the patients in whom the amount of pericardial effusion was reduced after the therapy against anorexia nervosa, the levels of free T3 and T4 inversely increased. These results indicate that pericardial effusion in anorexia nervosa may be associated with thyroid hormones. The evaluation of pericardial effusion in anorexia nervosa patients by echocardiography is useful for predicting the decrease of thyroid hormones and the patient’s general condition including cardiovascular function.