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anorexia
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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.
Last reviewed 01/2018
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