Death due to duodenal obstruction in a patient with an eating disorder: A case report

Objective: A 30‐year‐old woman with a 2‐year history of bulimia nervosa and severe abdominal pain after excessive food consumption visited our emergency room. Her abdomen showed marked generalized distension. Method: Aspiration of the gastric contents was not successful, and despite efforts to resuscitate her, the patient died. Result: An autopsy showed a markedly distended stomach containing approximately 6,500 ml of solid foods. The aortomesenteric distance was <1.0 cm and the aortomesenteric angle was <20°, suggesting superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome may have been a cause of death. Conclusion: However, her condition was also consistent with duodenal obstruction due to a heavy stomach and high intra‐abdominal pressure, and her cause of death was diagnosed as intestinal obstruction due to an excessive volume of food. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Int J Eat Disord, 2006