Anorexia nervosa complicating inflammatory bowel disease

Two cases of inflammatory bowel disease, occurring in adolescence and complicated by anorexia nervosa, are presented. The management of the bowel disease with corticosteroids appeared to precipitate the eating disorder in one case whereas covert withdrawal of steroid treatment led to life threatening complications of inflammatory bowel disease in the other. The difficulties of managing two serious conditions, each ideally treated in a specialist centre, are discussed and the dangers of treating adolescents with shape modifying drugs are highlighted.