Anorexia nervosa in a male

A 14-year-old boy who stopped eating the day his family moved into a new neighborhood lost 40% of his body weight. The classic features of anorexia nervosa appeared, accompanied by renal dysfunction (azotemia, elevated serum creatinin levels and reduced creatinin clearance and glomerular filtration rate) as well as bradycardia, ECG changes, hypercholesterolemia, hypothermia and low T₃ and T₄ blood levels. All the clinical and laboratory abnormalities returned to normal after he regained weight. Anorexia nervosa is a rare disorder, especially in males. The diagnosis is often delayed in males because of unawareness that it occurs and because of the absence of an important symptom in females, amenorrhea.