[Gastric emphysema, a critical condition accompanied by eating disorders: a case report]

Gastric emphysema encompasses a broad spectrum of diseases. A 31-year-old woman presented with severe vomiting and epigastric pain. She had lost body weight for several months, and was later diagnosed as having anorexia nervosa. A radiological study demonstrated intramural gas with huge gastric dilatation and portal venous gas. She underwent total gastrectomy and was rescued from extensive gastric necrosis. Her clinical findings suggest that extraordinary dilation of the stomach increased the intraluminal pressure, thereby resulting in perfusion disturbance and extensive gastric necrosis. There are five other case reports of gastric emphysema associated with eating disorders in the literature. All but one were young women, and one of 4 patients with massive gastric necrosis died due to septic shock. Eating disorders cause gastric emphysema through several unique mechanisms, including gastric muscular atrophy, occlusion of the gastroesophageal junction, and delayed gastric emptying. Gastric emphysema in relation to eating disorders carries a risk of life-threatening complications and requires urgent diagnosis and treatment.