Clinical features in anorexia nervosa lasting 10 years or more

To clarify the physical and mental symptoms of long-lasting anorexia nervosa (AN), we chose and examined 16 cases suffering from the disease for 10 years or more, among 138 cases admitted to our hospital with AN from 1972 to 1988. These prolonged cases almost changed into bulimic types and had various forms of abnormal eating behavior and physical symptoms. Frequency of abnormal eating behavior, other forms of abnormal behavior, physical and psychotic symptoms such as fear, were higher in the prolonged cases than in cases suffering for less than 3 years. In these prolonged cases, irreversible and life-threatening symptoms were especially common. Finally most of them experienced social withdrawal.