[Mental anorexia in aging. Report of a case]

Elderly subjects who refuse to eat, and thus develop malnutrition, can be observed both in institutional and community settings. Causes include physiological changes related to the aging process, mental disorders and environmental factors. Most cases of anorexia nevrosa begin in adolescence but a sizeable number may develop at a later age. The term anorexia nevrosa in the elderly is proposed to describe this clinical entity observed in a woman who developed anorexia nevrosa at the age of 76 years. This entity is examined in comparison with prolonged earlier-onset anorexia nevrosa and late-onset anorexia.