[Medical complications of anorexia nervosa].

Medical complications of anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa causes acute or chronic medical complications that can affect most organs: dermatologic complications, gastrointestinal complications (including constipation, delayed gastric emptying, rarely hepatitis), endocrine and bone (amenorrhea, infertility, hypoglycemia, delayed puberty, arrested growth, osteoporosis...), hematologic and metabolic complications (anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, hypokalemia and hyponatremia...), neurological complications (cognitive impairment, coma, convulsions...), cardiopulmonary complications (including QT prolongation, arrhythmia, myocardial atrophy, pericardial effusion...). Clinical examination and some simple additional examinations are always necessary to diagnose these complications; some of these complications can indeed be life-threatening and require hospitalization. Most of these complications are reversible with adequate refeeding and weight restoration.