Federman D G, Kirsner R S, Federman G S
Yale University School of Medicine, West Haven, USA.
Conn Med. 1997 Apr;61(4):207-9.
Pica, the persistent and compulsive ingestion of particular food items or nonnutritive substances, has been associated with iron deficiency, zinc deficiency, geophagia, mental deficiency, developmental delay, and a family history of pica. Nutritional, sensory physiologic, psychosocial, and cultural theories have been advanced to explain this phenomenon, but the etiology of pica is poorly understood. Pica, secondary to iron deficiency, is relatively common and remits after iron therapy. Complications of pica include abdominal problems (sometimes necessitating surgery), lead poisoning, hypokalemia, hyperkalemia, mercury poisoning, phosphorus intoxication, and dental injury. Pica is an underdiagnosed problem that can be caused by a variety of disorders and can lead to serious complications.
异食癖是指持续且强迫性地摄入特定食物或非营养性物质，它与缺铁、缺锌、食土癖、智力缺陷、发育迟缓以及异食癖家族史有关。人们提出了营养、感觉生理、心理社会和文化等理论来解释这一现象，但对异食癖的病因了解甚少。继发于缺铁的异食癖相对常见，铁剂治疗后可缓解。异食癖的并发症包括腹部问题（有时需要手术）、铅中毒、低钾血症、高钾血症、汞中毒、磷中毒和牙齿损伤。异食癖是一个诊断不足的问题，可由多种疾病引起，并可导致严重并发症。
