Published in:
Open Access 01-06-2011 | Clinical Practice: Clinical Images
Anorexia Nervosa: Russell’s Sign with Concurrent Tetany
Published in: Journal of General Internal Medicine | Issue 6/2011
Login to get accessExcerpt
A 32-year-old female with a history of binge-purge type anorexia nervosa presented with abdominal pain and weight loss of 8 kg over the preceding 2 weeks. She denied prior diuretic or laxative abuse. Physical examination showed a thin female with a BMI of 14.2 kg/m2. The dorsal aspect of her hands revealed abrasions, callosities, and scarring (Fig. 1). Her hands were contracted in tetany, flexed at the metacarpophalangeal joints, with extension at the interphalangeal joints with the thumb flexed and adducted (Fig. 2). Laboratory studies revealed a serum calcium of 5.3 mg/dl, albumin of 3.0 g/dl, and normal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and parathyroid hormone levels.
Figure 1
The dorsal aspect of the patient's hands revealed abrasions, callosities, and scarring.
Figure 2
The patient's hands were contracted in tetany, flexed at the metacarpophalangeal joints, with extension at the interphalangeal joints with the thumb flexed and adducted.
× ![]()
× ![]()
…