Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome associated with hyperemesis gravidarum and fetal death: Case report and literature review / Síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff associado a hiperêmese gravídica e morte fetal: Relato de caso e revisão de literatura

We describe a clinical case of a pregnant patient with hyperemesis gravidarum who progressed to abortion, Wernicke's encephalopathy, and Korsakoff's psychosis, all related to thiamine deficiency. The patient presented symptoms of disorientation, nonspecific limb movements, and fever, initially treated with metronidazole and ceftriaxone for suspected infected abortion. Subsequently, the patient was diagnosed with retained and infected abortion, and thiamine replacement therapy was initiated with an intravenous loading dose of 900 mg/day. During hospitalization, the patient presented with tetraparesis, nystagmus, decreased level of consciousness, anterograde and retrograde amnesia, confabulation, and aphasia. Magnetic resonance imaging showed lesions in the pons, typical of Wernicke's encephalopathy. The patient was empirically treated with acyclovir and ampicillin and showed clinical improvement. The text also provides a brief narrative review of the literature on the topic.

Descrevemos um caso clínico de uma paciente grávida com hiperêmese gravídica que evoluiu para aborto, Encefalopatia de Wernicke e Psicose de Korsakoff, ambas relacionadas à deficiência de tiamina. A paciente apresentou sintomas de desorientação, movimentos inespecíficos dos membros e febre, sendo, inicialmente, tratada com metronidazol e ceftriaxona por suspeita de aborto infectado. Posteriormente, a paciente foi diagnosticada com aborto retido e infectado e iniciou-se a reposição de tiamina com dose endovenosa de ataque de 900 mg/dia. Durante o internamento, a paciente apresentou tetraparesia, nistagmo, rebaixamento do nível de consciência, amnésia anterógrada e retrógrada, confabulação e afasia. A ressonância magnética mostrou lesões na ponte, típicas da Encefalopatia de Wernicke. A paciente foi tratada com aciclovir e ampicilina empiricamente e apresentou melhoras no quadro clínico. O texto também faz uma breve revisão narrativa da literatura sobre o tema.

Síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff em paciente gestante de 18 anos / Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome in an 18-year-old pregnant patient

A síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff é uma rara encefalopatia desencadeada pela deficiência de tiamina, uma vitamina do complexo B, que atua como importante cofator de enzimas responsáveis pela manutenção da homeostase da energia cerebral. Apresentamos o caso de uma paciente de 18 anos, gestante, com diagnóstico prévio de pancreatite aguda biliar, que evoluiu à hiperêmese gravídica e à Wernicke-Korsakoff. Objetivamos, com este trabalho, chamar a atenção para a importância do diagnóstico imediato dessa síndrome diante de seu potencial em causar danos cerebrais irreversíveis, caso não tratada precocemente.

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a rare encephalopathy triggered by deficiency of thiamine, a B-complex vitamin, which acts as an important cofactor of enzymes responsible for maintaining brain energy homeostasis. We present the case of an 18-year-old pregnant woman with previous diagnosis of acute biliary pancreatitis, who developed hyperemesis gravidarum and Wernicke-Korsakoff. With this work, we aim to draw attention to the importance of the immediate diagnosis of this syndrome in view of its potential to cause irreversible brain damage if not treated early.

Cuidados de enfermagem a um paciente alcoolista portador da síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff: estudo de caso / Cuidados de enfermería a paciente alcohólico con síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff: presentación de um caso / Nursing care approach towards an alcoholic patient bearing the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: case study

Introduction: Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS) is one of the most serious consequences of alcohol abuse. The cognitive impact of the pathology is derived from alcoholic neurotoxicity and thiamine deficiency, which can progress to stupor, coma and death. Objective: Performing a case study regarding an alcoholic patient bearing the WKS, and also designing a nursing care plan. Methods: It is a case study with a qualitative approach that assesses an alcoholic patient bearing the WKS. The study was performed at the Hospital Universitário Oswaldo Cruz (HUOC) in Recife, Brazil, over the period from February to March 2016. Results: We were able to identify 14 nursing diagnoses, as follows: chronic confusion/memory deficit/disturbed thought processes/ impaired verbal communication; impaired walking/risk of tumble down; self-care deficit; nutrition smaller than the needs/fatigue; excessive fluid volume/impaired tissue integrity; bleeding risk; impaired skin integrity; ineffective tissue perfusion. Conclusion: The nursing professionals have singular importance with regards to both the execution of health education actions as well as the alcoholics' treatment, thus preventing the complications of the disease

Introdução: A síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff (SWK) é uma das mais graves consequências do abuso de álcool. O impacto cognitivo da patologia é derivado da neurotoxicidade alcóolica e deficiência de tiamina, podendo progredir para estupor, coma e morte. Objetivo: Realizar um estudo de caso de paciente alcoolista portador de SWK e construir um plano de assistência de enfermagem. Métodos: Estudo de caso com abordagem qualitativa. O estudo foi realizado no Hospital Universitário Oswaldo Cruz (HUOC), em Recife, Brasil, fevereiro a março de 2016. Resultados: Identificamos 14 diagnósticos de enfermagem: confusão crônica/memória prejudicada/ processos do pensamento perturbados/comunicação verbal prejudicada; deambulação prejudicada/risco de quedas; déficit no autocuidado; nutrição desequilibrada menor que as necessidades/fadiga; volume excessivo de líquido/integridade tissular prejudicada; risco de sangramento; integridade da pele prejudicada; perfusão tissular ineficaz. Conclusão: A enfermagem tem especial importância na execução das ações de educação em saúde e tratamento de alcoolistas prevenindo as complicações da doença

Introducción: El síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff (WKS) es una de las más graves consecuencias del abuso del alcohol. El impacto de trastorno cognitivo se deriva de la neurotoxicidad alcohólica y la deficiencia de tiamina, que puede progresar a estupor, coma y muerte. Objetivo: Realizar un estudio de caso de un paciente con SWK alcohólica y construir un plan de atención de enfermería. Métodos: Un estudio de caso con enfoque cualitativo. El estudio se realizó en el Hospital Universitario Oswaldo Cruz (HUOC) en Recife, Brasil, entre febrero y marzo de 2016 Resultados: Se identificaron 14 diagnósticos de enfermería: confusión crónica/deterioro de la memoria/ procesos de pensamiento perturbados/alteración de la comunicación verbal; alteración de la deambulación/riesgo de caídas; déficit de autocuidado; la nutrición desequilibrada menos necesita/fatiga; volumen excesivo de líquido/ la integridad del tejido deteriorado; riesgo de sangrado; alteración de la integridad de la piel; la perfusión tisular ineficaz. Conclusión: La enfermería tiene especial importancia en la implementación de las iniciativas de educación en la salud y el tratamiento de alcohólicos prevención de las complicaciones de la enfermedad

Presentación del síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff secundario a encefalitis por citomegalovirus, a propósito de un caso / Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome secondary to cytomegalovirus encephalitis: A case report

Resumen El citomegalovirus (CMV) es uno de los microorganismos oportunistas con mayor prevalencia en pacientes inmunocomprometidos, aunque su reactivación ha descendido después de la introducción de la terapia antirretroviral altamente activa (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, HAART). En las coinfecciones, la encefalitis se ha reportado como una de las condiciones más frecuentes. Se presenta el caso de un paciente adulto joven con infección por virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (HIV) que tuvo un rápido deterioro neurológico evidenciado en síntomas y signos clínicos clásicos del síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff y que no presentaba factores de riesgo para deficiencia de tiamina. En las imágenes de la resonancia magnética cerebral, se detectaron hallazgos típicos del síndrome, y se identificó citomegalovirus (CMV) en el líquido cefalorraquídeo. Con el tratamiento específico para el CMV, se logró el control de los síntomas, aunque hubo secuelas neurológicas que mejoraron. Este es uno de los pocos casos reportados a nivel mundial de síndrome de Wernicke secundario a encefalitis por citomegalovirus.

Abstract Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the opportunistic microorganisms with the highest prevalence in immunocompromised patients. Reactivation has decreased after the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Encephalitis has been reported in the coinfection as one of the most frequent presentations. We present the case of a young adult patient with HIV infection and rapid neurological deterioration due to classic clinical symptoms and signs of the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, with no risk factors for thiamine deficiency, with images by nuclear magnetic resonance typical of the syndrome, and identification of cytomegalovirus in cerebrospinal fluid. The specific treatment for CMV managed to control the symptoms with neurological sequelae in progression towards improvement. This is one of the few cases reported in the literature of Wernicke syndrome secondary to cytomegalovirus encephalitis.

Psicosis de Korsakoff, a propósito de un caso interesante / Korsakoff's psychosis, about an interesting case

La psicosis de Korsakoff (PK) es una de las causas más frecuentes de amnesia. Se caracteriza por confusión mental, deterioro de la memoria reciente y confabulación. Se presenta el caso de un paciente masculino de 53 años de edad, fumador de un paquete al día, durante más de 35 años, bebedor de riesgo, con antecedentes de hipertensión arterial e hipercolesterolemia. Se diagnosticó como psicosis de Korsakoff debido al déficit de tiamina o vitamina B1. La psicosis de Korsakoff es un síndrome amnésico que puede presentarse precedido o no de encefalopatía de Wernicke (EW), por lo que se diagnostican menos casos de los que en realidad existen. Por ello, es un problema frecuentemente infradiagnosticado en los centros de salud lo que resulta interesante el conocimiento de esta patología (AU).

Korsakoff psychosis is one of the most frequent causes of amnesia. It is characterized by mental confusion, impairment of the recent memory and confabulation. It is presented the case of a male patient, aged 53 years, who smoked 1 packet of cigarettes a day during more than 35 years, risk drinker with antecedents of arterial hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. He was diagnosed as Korsakoff psychosis due to the thiamine or B1 vitamin deficit. Korsakoff psychosis is an amnesic syndrome that may be preceded or not by Wernicke encephalopathy, so there are diagnosed fewer cases than those truly existing. That is why it is a problem frequently underdiagnosed in health care institutions, making interesting this disease´s knowledge (AU).

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome: A Case Report

A 57-year-old man who was diagnosed with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome showed severe impairment of cognitive function and a craving for alcohol, even after sufficient supplementation with thiamine. After completing 10 sessions of 10 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) at 100% of the resting motor threshold over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, dramatic improvement in cognitive function and a reduction in craving for alcohol were noted. This is the first case report of the efficacy of a high-frequency rTMS in the treatment of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

Enfermedad de Wernicke Korsakoff en hiperémesis gravídica: presentación de un caso en el Hospital Hipólito Unanue de Lima, Perú, y revisión de la literatura / Wernicke Korsakoff disease in hyperemesis gravidarum: case presentation at the Hospital Hipólito Unanue, Lima, Perú, and review of the literature

Objetivos: la encefalopatía de Wernicke es un desorden severo causado por deficiencia de vitamina B1. Esta enfermedad rara vez diagnosticada, es más prevalente de lo que se reporta, por lo que nuestro objetivo es presentar un caso inusual y hacer una revisión de la literatura.Materiales y métodos: se presenta el caso de una mujer gestante de 29 años de edad, con tiempo de gestación de 12 semanas, que ingresa al servicio de Emergencia del Hospital Macional Hipólito Unanue, hospital de referencia a nivel nacional, ubicado en Lima, Perú, que atiende pacientes de bajo nivel socioeconómico. Como sintomatología presentaba náuseas, vómitos incoercibles, amaurosis nocturna con manifestaciones psicóticas, ataxia y baja ponderal del 12% de peso. Se diagnosticó por bajos niveles séricos de vitamina B1. Para la búsqueda sistemática se utilizaron las palabras clave: Síndrome de Wernicke Korsakoff e Hiperemesis gravídica en bases de datos Pubmed, Scopus, Embase, DOAJ, SciELO, Latindex, Redalyc y Lilacs. Resultados: se encontraron 135 artículos, de los cuales 45 estaban relacionados directamente con el tema, de estos se seleccionaron 6 reportes de caso y 11 revisiones del tema. Conclusiones: la enfermedad de Wernicke Korsakoff asociada a hiperémesis gravídica es de difícil diagnóstico, y necesita manejo rápido y oportuno para conservar la salud de la madre y el feto

Objectives: Wernicke’s encephalopathy is a severe disorder caused by vitamin B1 deficiency. The prevalence of this rarely diagnosed disease is higher than reported. Consequently, our objective is to present an unusual case and conduct a review of the literature. Materials and methods: We present a case of a pregnant woman, 29 years old, who presented at 12 weeks of gestation to the emergency service of the Hospital Nacional Hipólito Unanue, a tertiary referral center in Lima, Peru, that serves patients in the low-income bracket. Symptoms included nausea, uncontrolled vomiting, night blindness with psychotic manifestations and ataxia, and low weight in the 12% range. Diagnosis was based on serum levels of B1 vitamin. A systematic search was conducted using the following key words: Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome and hyperemesis gravidarum in Pubmed, Scopus, Embase, DOAJ, SciELO, Latindex, Redalyc and Lilacs. Results: The search resulted in 135 articles, 45 of which were directly related to the topic. Of those, 6 case reports and 11 review articles were selected. Conclusions: Wernicke-Korsakoff disease associated with hyperemesis gravidarum is relatively difficult to diagnose, and requires prompt and timely management in order to preserve the health of the mother and the fetus

Alcohol-Related Dementia

Chronic alcohol use may have direct or indirect neurotoxic effects on the brain that can lead to cognitive impairment. However, the precise relationship between alcohol and dementia remains unclear. There are several epidemiological studies suggest that the protective effect of light-moderate alcohol drinking in dementia. But obviously the heavy alcohol drinking can lead to brain damage and increase the risk of various types of dementia. The clinicopathological issues and criteria regarding so-called 'alcoholic dementia' remain under debate. Alcohol-induced persisting amnestic disorder, alcohol-induced persisting dementia, and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (thiamine deficiency) may constitute distinct disease entities, but they may also share some common features. Based on this theory, Oslin and colleagues proposed the broader diagnostic scheme and criteria for Alcohol Related Dementia (ARD), which may include cases of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and also other cases of dementia that appear to be alcohol-related. In pathogenesis of the alcoholic dementia, the chronic exposure to ethanol results in the adaptive up-regulation of NMDA receptor sensitivity, which can result in an increased vulnerability to glutamate induced excitotoxicity. Despite the clinical importance of ARD, few medical treatments for ARD have been proposed and studied. Most of all, the gold standard of the treatment in alcoholic dementia is the maintaining abstinence. Some therapeutic trials with cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil and rivastigmine) and memantine (NMDA receptor antagonist) have been conducted for the patients with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and alcohol-related dementia, and these studies reported favorable outcomes. Especially memantine can be a more effective agent in the treatment of alcoholic dementia because of anti-craving effect reported in several studies.

Alcohol and Cognitive Disorder / 대한정신약물학회지

Despite epidemiological studies reporting no negative effects of mild to moderate alcohol drinking on cognitive functioning, a recent well-controlled study showed that chronic mild drinking diminished the volume of the brain and was associated with cognitive decline that worsened as a function of the amount of alcohol consumed. Animal studies have demonstrated that neural cell damage follows chronic alcohol intake and withdrawal. In addition, acute excessive alcohol intake has been shown to result in temporary impairment of memory, and chronic alcohol drinking is often related to neuronal damage and cognitive disorders. Even though a diverse spectrum of cognitive disorders can develop after sustained alcohol drinking, no definite diagnostic criteria existed before those proposed by Oslin; the availability of these criteria will provide more structured clinical and academic approaches to alcohol-related cognitive decline, including dementia. In general, diminished cognitive functioning has been related to excessive alcohol consumption, with cognitive functioning gradually recovering over time. With the exception of the administration of thiamine in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, only supportive pharmacotherapies have been provided for patients with alcohol-related cognitive disorders. However, experimental trials with rivastigmine or donepezil have been conducted for special populations with persistent cognitive impairments, and these studies reported favorable outcomes. We administered memantine for alcohol-related dementia and observed improvements in verbal memory and scores on the mini-mental status exam. We anticipate that novel and appropriate therapeutic agents for various conditions in this domain will be developed based on systematic diagnostic criteria and the accumulation of neurobiological evidence about alcohol-related cognitive decline.

Déficit de Tiamina: Beriberi y síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff / Thiamine deficiency: Beriberi and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

La historia de la medicina reporta que algunos años atrás, antes de que se describiera la vitamina B 1 llamada también tiamina, ya se había descrito una enfermedad en un grupo de navegantes japoneses que causaba lesiones en el sistema nervioso y cardiovascular, entidad que se la conocía con el nombre de beriberi. El objetivo de la revisión es recordar la función de la vitamina B 1 en nuestro metabolismo, su importancia y requerimientos, además de conocer las consecuencias de su déficit, signos, síntomas y cuadros clínicos que se presentarían en ausencia de ésta. El beriberi y el Síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff son cuadros clínicos que aparecen por la deficiencia de tiamina; sus manifestaciones son variadas, incluyen trastarnos neurológicos, cardiovasculares, psiquiátricos y pueden llevar incluso a la muerte.

Medicine history tells us that some years ago, before vitamine B1, also called thiamine, were described, it was already known a disease in a group of Japanese sailors. That disease caused damage in the nervous and cardiovascular systems and was known with the name of beriberi. The objective of this study is to remember the vitamine B1function in our metabolism, its importance and requirements as well as to know the consequences derived from its deficiency, signs, symptoms and medical profiles appearing because of thiamine deficiency; its features are varied, and include neurological, cardiovascular, and psychiatric disorders. They can even lead patients to death.

Pharmacological Treatment in Alcohol-induced Cognitive Disorder

Alcohol-induced cognitive disorder is a very severe problem in problem alcohol drinker and alcohol itself seems to be one of the main causalities in the development of senile dementia. However, the spectrum of alcohol induced cognitive disorder is quite broad, for example, it covered from alcohol-induced persistent amnestic disorder to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and alcohol-induced persistent dementia. By that reason, broad spectrum of cognitive impairment by excessive alcohol drinking is regarded as alcohol related dementia. The pharmacological treatment is not well established yet in alcohol related dementia, except Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome which is definitely related to thiamine deficiency. Therefore we introduced that some reports about the clinical efficacies by rivastigmine or donepezil trial and recent outcomes of memantine trial by authors in this review.

Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome Associated with Hyperemesis Gravidarum

PURPOSE: The authors hereby describe a case of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome with accompanying ocular findings that is caused by hyperernesis gravidarum. METHODS: We experienced a 27-year-old female at 12 weeks of pregnancy, who visited our clinic because of weight loss, gait disturbance, decreased mentality and dizziness after prolonged vomiting for 2 months. Neurological examination demonstrated ataxia of gait and loss of orientation. Ophthalmologic examination showed decreased visual acuity, upbeat nystagmus, diplopia and retinal hemorrhage. RESULTS: We report a relatively rare case of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome with ophthalmic symptoms induced by hyperemesis gravidarum. CONCLUSIONS: If a pregnant women has symptoms of severe vomiting along with other ocular findings such as retinal hemorrhage or restricted extraocular movement, one must suspect the diagnosis of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, and should start appropriate treatment immediately.

Memantine: pharmacological properties and clinical uses.

Memantine is a relatively new drug specially developed for use in moderate-to-severe dementia. It is an uncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist and reduces glutamatergic excitotoxicity. Though Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the commonest cause of dementia in the world, there is no "cure" available for the same. Cholinesterase inhibitors such as donepezil and rivastigmine have been shown to provide symptomatic relief in patients with AD but have no effect on disease progression or survival. Moreover, they are not helpful in more severe stages of dementia. Memantine has been shown to cause modest improvement in clinical symptoms in severe stages of AD and may retard the disease progression. Moreover, it has been shown to be useful in various forms of dementia including AD, vascular dementia and Wernicke-Korsakoff psychosis. It is also the first drug to cause complete disappearance of pendular nystagmus due to multiple sclerosis. The current review focuses on the pharmacological properties of memantine and examines the recent evidence in favor of memantine.

Complicacões psiquiátricas do uso crônico do álcool: síndrome de abstinência e outras doencas psiquiátricas / Psychiatric complications of alcoholism: alcohol withdrawal syndrome and other psychiatric disorders

A síndrome de abstinência alcoólica é um quadro agudo, caracterizado por um conjunto de sinais e sintomas autolimitados, com gravidade variada, secundário à interrupcão total ou parcial do consumo de álcool, podendo ser associado a inúmeros problemas clínicos e/ou outros transtornos psiquiátricos. O objetivo deste artigo é rever as principais complicacões psiquiátricas secundárias à síndrome de abstinência alcoólica, como convulsões e delirium tremens, bem como algumas outras condicões psiquiátricas associadas à dependência de álcool, como as síndromes de Wernicke Korsakoff e de Marchiava Bignami. Pretende-se, com isso, auxiliar no diagnóstico precoce e tratamento adequado, minimizando assim a morbidade e a mortalidade associadas a tais complicacões.

Complicaçäo pouco relatada em obesos mórbidos: polineuropatia relacionada à hipovitaminose B1 / A rarely reported complication in morbid obesity - vitamin B1 - related polyneuropathy

Deficiências agudas de vitamina B1 vinculam-se a quadros neurológicos e graves como síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff e neuropatias periféricas. A imensa maioria é observada na esfera de alcoólatras crônicos com dieta pobre e mal balanceada, porém há um pequeno contingente visto em pacientes com emagrecimento acelerado por tratamento anti-obesidade, greve de fome, hiperemese gravídica, e nutriçäo parenteral sem reposiçäo vitamínica. Neste estudo, é apresentada uma série de pacientes bariátricos que desenvolveral grave neuropatia em conexäo com vômitos e intolerância ao procedimento após a alta hospitalar. Todos os casos tivaram reposiçäo de tiamina observando-se respostas geralmente favoráveis. Discute-se a provável etiopatogenia desta complicaçäo.(au)

A case of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome associated with severe hyperemesis gravidarum / 대한산부인과학회잡지

Hypermesis gravidarum is a complication defined as vomiting severe enough to require hospital admission during early pregnancy. Thiamine deficiency is known to lead to certain neurological seguelae including Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Wernicke's encephalopathy is an illness of acute onset characterized by global confusion, paralysis of eye ball movements, and gate ataxia due to a deficiency of thiamine. The immediate administration of thiamine prevents progression of the disease and reverses brain lesions that have not yet progressed to the point of fixed structural change. We have experienced a case of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome associated with hyperemesis gravidarum, which seemed to be developed by prolonged thiamine-free fluid therapy. We emphasize the need for thiamine supplementation in hyperemesis gravidarum patients.

Síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff / Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

El síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff es un trastorno relativamente frecuente y prevenible, causado por la deficiencia de vitamina B1 o tiamina. Subdiagnosticado la mayoría de las veces, clásicamente diagnosticado en base a la tríada clínica: confusión, trastornos oculomotores y ataxia. Si bien lo más frecuente es que se presente bajo formas clínicas frustras, con uno o dos de los elementos de la tríada. Otras formas de presentación son el coma, la hipotermia existiendo además formas subclínicas. Se realizó un estudio prospectivo, descriptivo, con pacientes que ingresaron con diagnóstico de síndrome de Wernicke-Korsakoff. Se estudiaron 20 pacientes ingresados en un período de 3 años, uno de ellos de sexo femenino, el resto de sexo masculino. Con rango de edad de 32 a 71 años, y una edad promedio de 48 años. Todos ellos grandes bebedores de alcohol de más de 10 años de evolución. La tríada completa se presentó en 5/20. La frecuencia de presentación de los síntomas y signos fue: ataxia 18/20, alteraciones oculomotoras 12/20, y confusión 9/20. La tomografía axial computada (TAC) de cráneo fue patológica en la mayoría de los casos, con mayor incidencia de atrofia cerebral y cerebelosa difusa

A Case of Wernicke's Encephalopathy with Hyponatremia / 대한신장학회잡지

Thiamine deficiency is known to lead to certain neurologic sequales including Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Wernicke's encephalapathy is charac-terized by ataxia, ophthalmoplegia, nystagmus, and mental change. Although classically associated with chronic alcoholism, a number of other predisposing conditions exist such as hyperemesis gravidarum, thyrotoxicosis, starvation, anorexia nervosa, prolonged total parenteral nutrition, gastric plication and renal dialysis. We have experienced a case of Wernicke's encephalopathy associated with prolonged starvation which was misdiagnosed by hyponatremic ence-phalopathy at first, and which seemed to be developed by thiamine-free dextrose infusion in 39-year-old male patient. We report the case with review of the literature and emphasize the need for thiamine supplementation with slow correction of hyponatremia before the infusion of dextrose solution in the prolonged starved hyponatremic patient.