Pica is the persistent, compulsive ingestion of non-nutritive substances, which includes eating disorders with unusual cravings. Etiologies of consumption of common and bizarre substances range from mineral deficiencies and helminthic infestations to cultural preferences. Recently, pica has been linked to obsessive-compulsive (OCD) spectrum disorders. Although there are few epidemiological studies and likely underreporting by embarrassed patients, pica exists in all ages, races, genders, and geographical regions. Lower socioeconomic groups, young children, pregnant women, or nursing mothers with increased nutritional demands are at higher risk, as well as those with brain damage, epilepsy, mental retardation, psychosis, or dementia.
Case Report: A 32-year-old, primary school graduate, unemployed, male patient referred to psychiatry clinic with glass eating behavior for 10 years. There was not any history of psychiatry referral before the development of glass eating craving. He was referred to psychiatry clinic with this craving and had difficulty to quit eating glass. In psychiatric examination we found cleaning and control obssessions. The cranial MRI showed decrease in size of in corpus callosum, enlargement in Sylvian fissure and sulcus, asymmetry in III. and lateral ventricules.
Discussion: In literature we did not a pica case like this one regarding glass eating. Even most pica cases are associated with element deficiency in our case there was not any deficiency. Because of obsessive symptoms, it might be associated with obsessive spectrum disorders with radiological findings. In OCD spectrum disorders, pica should also be considered and radiological investigation must always be done.