Thermocoagulation for the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa Associated with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Case Report

Abstract

Anorexia nervosa (AN) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are two psychiatric disorders that often overlap or are diagnosed as distinct disorders in the same individual. Although neurosurgical treatment is currently reserved for patients with refractory chronic OCD, it has been evidenced that it is also effective for the treatment of AN, since these two disorders share some pathophysiological neurocircuits. The present study aimed to report the case of a patient with AN, OCD, schizophrenia, and comorbid depression who underwent thermocoagulation of the nucleus accumbens associated with anterior cingulotomy and anterior capsulotomy, all of them bilaterally. Follow-up, performed 16 months after the procedure, showed substantial improvement in AN, OCD, and schizophrenia symptoms, demonstrating the effectiveness of this type of intervention in patients refractory to conservative treatment.