Anorexia nervosa associated with hypothalamic tumor: the search for clinical-pathological correlations.

Three phases of clinical-pathological interrelationships are identified in a 16-yr-old female: (1) A general configuration of nonspecific and inconsistent signs and symptoms points to a chronic problem of achieving a stable internal state. Attention is drawn to sleep disturbances and increased fluid intake. However, it is the psychodynamic features that are the most outstanding. (2) Features of the ventromedial hypothalamic syndrome complicated the psychiatric picture. (3) Intractable headaches with loss of visual fields finally pointed to an intracranial mass in the area of the hypothalamus. (38 ref)