Bone marrow changes in anorexia nervosa are correlated with the amount of weight loss and not with other clinical findings

The clinical history and biochemical and hematologic variables for 44 consecutive patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa were recorded. Bone marrow aspirates and biopsy specimens were analyzed by standard morphologic procedures, and bone marrow adipocytes were studied morphometrically. The bone ma...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of clinical pathology 2002-10, Vol.118 (4), p.582-588
Main Authors: ABELLA, E, FELIU, E, GRANADA, I, MILLA, F, ORIOL, A, RIBERA, J. M, SANCHEZ-PLANELL, L, BERGA, Ll, REVERTER, J. C, ROZMAN, C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adipocytes - pathology
Adolescent
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa - pathology
Anorexia Nervosa - physiopathology
Biological and medical sciences
Bone Marrow - pathology
Bone Marrow Cells - pathology
Child
Clinical Chemistry Tests
Eating behavior disorders
Female
Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases
Hematologic Tests
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Other diseases. Hematologic involvement in other diseases
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Weight Loss
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Summary:The clinical history and biochemical and hematologic variables for 44 consecutive patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa were recorded. Bone marrow aspirates and biopsy specimens were analyzed by standard morphologic procedures, and bone marrow adipocytes were studied morphometrically. The bone marrow of the 44 patients was classified as normal (5 cases [11%]), hypoplastic or aplastic (17 [39%]), with partial or focal gelatinous degeneration (13 [30%]), or with complete gelatinous degeneration of the bone marrow (GDBM; 9 [20%]). These patterns correlated with amount of weight loss (P = .005) but not other clinical findings. WBC counts were lower in patients with GDBM (P = .0189), but this and other peripheral blood variables did not always reflect the severity of bone marrow damage. Hypoplastic or aplastic bone marrow showed an increase in bone marrow fat fraction due to an increase in adipocyte diameters, while in GDBM, fat fraction and adipocyte diameters decreased. Morphologic changes in bone marrow and stereologic alterations in bone marrow adipocytes may be observed in anorexia nervosa. The extent of damage is related to the amount of weight loss, not to other factors. Peripheral blood cell counts may not reflect the extent of damage. In some patients, this process may be reversible with reestablishment of adequate nutritional intake.
ISSN:0002-9173
1943-7722
DOI:10.1309/2Y7X-YDXK-006B-XLT2