Anorexia nervosa and brain tumor in a 14-year-old girl

Slow-growing craniopharyngioma masquarading as early-onset eating disorder: two cases

BACKGROUND

Craniopharyngiomas are slow-growing tumors, which can either be asymptomatic or present themselves with visual, neuropsychiatric or endocrine disturbances. Eating disorders (EDs) are syndromes with unknown etiology, associated with multiple endocrine abnormalities. In pediatric cases the presentation of EDs may differ markedly from those of adults.

OBJECTIVE

We report on two pediatric patients with craniopharyngioma misinterpreted as ED.

METHOD

Available patient records, psychiatric examinations, neuro-radiographic imaging, and biochemical data were evaluated.

DISCUSSION

The reported cases illustrate the importance to consider slow-growing craniopharyngioma in ED. Especially in atypical ED, neuro-radiographic, ophthalmologic and endocrine examination should be carried out. Furthermore, structural hypothalamic lesions in these cases mimicking features of ED, suggesting the possibility of an as yet unidentified structural hypothalamic disorder to be implicated in the etiopathogeny of ED.