Premenstrual tension syndrome with periodic bulimia nervosa: report of a case and review of the literature.

Premenstrual tension syndrome (PMS) is well known in its epidemiology, etiology, symptomatology and treatment. However, PMS characterized by bulimic episodes is rare. We report a case of a 20-year-old university student who suffered from uncontrollable binge eating premenstrually for six months before visiting our clinic. She was obese without any other notable family or medical history except the PMS noted for two years. A daily food diary for two consecutive menstrual cycles showed that the mean differences in caloric intake between premenstrual and postmenstrual days of two menstrual cycles were 679 and 703 calories, respectively. The greater peaks in caloric level were noted within the third to fifth days prior to the onset of menstruation. All binge episodes occurred in the premenstrual period, especially within five days prior to menstruation. In this report, we will also review the literature on the relationship between PMS and dietary intake, as well as bulimia nervosa.