[Echocardiography in anorexia nervosa].

The echocardiographic parameters of 10 patients with anorexia nervosa were studied at the time of admission and compared with those of 10 matched controls. There was a decrease of ventricular volumes and of the calculated left ventricular mass, but the haemodynamic values at rest showed a normal "pump function". The left ventricular mass correlated with the body mass, which indicates that the heart of anorectic patients is also involved by malnutrition. Two patients had asymptomatic mitral valve prolapse. These results are in agreement with the few published studies which report deep cardiac alterations with decrease of heart cavities volumes and reduction of wall thickness and myocardial mass. This results in altered exercise performance, despite a satisfactory haemodynamic status at rest. The high frequency of mitral valve prolapse due to disproportion between ventricle and valve must be noted.