Diffuse soft tissue emphysema as a complication of anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa is a primary behavioural disorder characterised by a disturbed sense of body image, a morbid fear of gaining weight, disturbed eating pattern, marked weight loss and amenorrhea. It usually affects adolescent women (95%).1 Medical complications of anorexia nervosa can involve all organic systems of the body.2'3 A rare complication is spontaneous pneumomediastinum, with only a few cases reported worldwide.4 We report a case of anorexia nervosa complicated by diffuse soft tissue emphysema, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous, retroperitoneal and epidural emphysema. Such findings have, to our knowledge, only been reported once in association with anorexia nervosa.5