Faculty Bibliography

Two manic-depressive patients are described who presented with acute renal failure and concurrent lithium toxicity. In both cases the etiology of the renal failure was not a direct result of the use of lithium. Controversy concerning the nephrotoxicity of lithium is discussed, and recommendations for the evaluation of renal failure during lithium therapy are provided

The authors report on two patients with disabling monosymptomatic hypochondriasis who responded to tricyclic antidepressants. They include a brief review of the literature on this uncommon debilitating illness

Of 12 patients with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, one third had EEG abnormalities over the temporal lobes. Each of these patients was given a trial of anti-seizure medication; only 1 improved

In a retrospective study, 22 patients with bulimia were treated with at least one therapeutic trial of antidepressants. Most patients (77%) were clinically depressed before the drug trial. Bingeing frequency decreased in 59% of all cases, and depression improved in 58% of depressed subjects after a 4-week trial of antidepressants, although only 27% of all patients showed both an antibinge and an antidepressant response. Furthermore, during a 3-month follow-up period, several patients relapsed despite continuing medication. At the end of the follow-up period, 23% of subjects continued to show at least a 50% decrease in their bingeing. These data indicate that medication may have separate and possibly unrelated antibinge and antidepressant effects in this patient population

The authors report the case of a young woman with anorexia nervosa who had a profound bradyarrhythmia and coagulopathy. They present guidelines for medical evaluation of all patients with anorexia nervosa and criteria for hospitalization