Diagnosing bulimia nervosa with parotid swelling. Case report

Patients with bulimia nervosa (BN) may show dental erosion, resulting from the effect of acid regurgitation. Asymptomatic bilateral parotid swellings may also be present. Other signs include serum electrolyte imbalance and Russell's sign. The authors describe the case of a 26-year-old woman with BN, whose only clinical manifestation of BN was her bilateral parotid swellings. Because patients with BN tend to be secretive about their purging, it is important that the clinician consider BN as part of a differential diagnosis when faced with such painless parotid gland swellings.