We report the case of a 27-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of bulimia and alcohol abuse who developed cirrhosis at a rapid rate. We hypothesize that the patient's bulimia, in combination with other possible predisposing factors, potentially accelerated the development of her alcoholic cirrhosis and subsequent medical complications. The association between eating disorders and liver disease is discussed, and the importance of aggressive treatment of eating disorders in combination with alcohol abuse is highlighted. 0 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
We report the case of a 27-year-old, single, Caucasian woman with a history of bulimia nervosa and ethanol abuse who developed rapidly progressing alcoholic cirrhosis. The patient's two comorbid psychiatric conditions can each lead to significant malnutrition, the adverse effects of which can be potentiated by electrolyte disturbances and dehydration resulting from post-binge vomiting. A broad spectrum of complications was seen with the patient described here, emphasizing the interrelations between bulimia, alcohol abuse, and liver disease. Moreover, the possibility of increased susceptibility of patients with eating disorders to the hepatotoxic effects of ethanol is discussed, and the need for aggressive treatment of these comorbid disorders is emphasized.