A Medicolegal Case of Anorexia Nervosa

A highly emaciated 37-year-old female had swerved while cycling to avoid an oncoming car and fallen on her face. The following day she died at home. She had not been examined by a physician. Because of the circumstances, intracranial injuries were suspected and a medicolegal autopsy was performed. However, no fatal injuries to the brain or other organs were found, and the cause of death appeared to be malnutrition. The malnutrition, according to her past history and the autopsy and histopathological findings, was apparently due to anorexia nervosa.