[Prognosis of anorexia nervosa (11 26 to 29 year follow-up studies of psychotherapeutically untreated cases)].

We report about a group of 13 anorectic patients, whose case and life history could be observed from the first examination (not identical with the beginning of the disease, dated 1-4 years earlier) during the interval 1947-1950. The first catamnesis was done 1965. At this time one female patient had died in connection with A. n.; another patient, the only male one of the group was not traceable any more. The next catamnesis was done 1976. 8 patients could be explored personally, by mail or phone. For two dead patients informations where given by the relatives. For another patient, who could not be found postally, we had informations by letter for the time before 1975. The group showed the following composition: - 12 women, 1 man; - beginning of the disease in puberty; - in the beginning of the disease all of them students at higher educational establishments; - the type of the disease is grave concerning the type of symptoms and course. - The later states show the following picture: - With 6 patients the A. n.-Syndrom continues; - of these six 2 died in connection with the disease; - with 7 patients the A.n.-Syndrom is not ascertainable any more. In this group there are 4 more or less distinct psychoses. - Two patients without A.n.-Syndromatic are remarcably improved, two patients with ongoing A.n.-Symptomatic are physically not basically, but socially definitively improved. My material does confirm thus the well-known tendency: one third remains anorectic and shows a chronical course, one third gets psychally very ill, resp. psychotic after loosing the A.n.-Symptomatic, the rest shows change of the Syndrom and improvement. Convincing healing of symptoms do not exist--except for the only male patient--in my material.