Diagnosis is made by history and physical examination.
Optional medical device diagnostics – depending on the results of the history, physical examination, and laboratory diagnostics – for differential diagnostic workup
- Electrical impedance analysis (measurement of body compartments/body composition) – for determination of body fat, extracellular body mass (blood and tissue fluid), body cell mass (muscle and organ mass), and total body water including body mass index (BMI, body mass index) and waist-to-hip ratio (THV).
- Indirect calorimetry
- Osteodensitometry (bone density measurement) – is required in cases of prolonged disease duration and/or persistent amenorrhea (absence of menstruation for more than three months). Already with amenorrhea duration of a few months occurs osteopenia (reduction in bone density).
- Abdominal sonography (ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs) – to exclude malignancies (tumor diseases).
- Cardiovascular check
- Computed tomography (CT) – sectional imaging procedure (X-ray images from different directions with computer-based analysis), depending on the accompanying symptoms.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; computer-assisted sectional imaging procedure (using magnetic fields, that is, without X-rays)), depending on the accompanying symptomatology.
- X-ray of the thorax (X-ray thorax / chest), in two planes – to exclude consumptive lung disease.
- Thyroid diagnostics – thyroid scintigraphy, thyroid sonography (ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland) to exclude thyroid disease.
