Anorexia

Anorexia is the absence of appetite, from the Greek; an, meaning the opposite of, and orexis meaning appetite.

It is a very non-specific symptom. Anorexia may be present in:

• malignancy
  • localised to gastrointestinal tract e.g. carcinoma stomach, carcinoma colon
  • disseminated malignancy
• infection e.g.:
  • localised to gastrointestinal tract e.g. appendicitis, intestinal tuberculosis
  • distant sites e.g. pneumonia
• inflammatory diseases e.g.:
  • Crohn's disease
  • Bechet's disease
• right ventricular failure
• metabolic diseases:
  • uraemia
  • diabetic ketoacidosis
  • lactic acidosis
  • hypercalcaemia
  • hyponatraemia
• drugs:
  • cytotoxic chemotherapy
• psychiatric disorders such as anorexia nervosa

It may also be a feature of many other diseases.