A Case of 17 Years Old Male with Short Stature and Delayed Adolescence due to Distorted Body Image

We report a 17 yr old male with short stature and delayed adolescence due to distorted body image. He was admitted to our hospital because of growth failure at the age of 15 yr 7 mo. His growth had been normal, but after entering a junior high school, he began to take an interest in physical exercise and protein diet. His endocrine data and psychopathological profiles such as eating, training pattern and extreme diet and failure to make expected growth and puberty were compatible with DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria for the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa (AN). The symptoms of male AN are different from female AN and it is difficult to diagnose. We emphasize the necessity of considering AN in the differential diagnosis of growth retardation and delayed adolescence in young males.