Abstract

Wernicke's encephalopathy is responsible for an acute neuropsychiatric syndrome that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is most frequently due to alcoholism but can also be the result of chronic diseases, mainly systemic tumours, leading to thiamine deficiency. In the non-thiamine treated patients Korsakoff’s syndrome is the residual complication of the encephalopathy. The clinical diagnosis of Wernicke encephalopathy in alcoholics requires two of the following four signs: dietary deficiencies, eye signs, cerebellar dysfunction, and either disturbed mental state or mild memory impairment. These symptoms are less specific in the non-alcoholic patients. Korsakoff's syndrome is the residual condition in none thiamine treated patients. It is predominantly characterized by global amnesia, and in the more severe cases also by cognitive and behavioral dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain can detect the specific lesions and be helpful for the diagnosis. Treatment with 2500 mg thiamine intravenously is recommended as soon as possible.

Keywords

Wernicke encephalopathy, Korsakoff’s syndrome, thiamine treatment, alcohol abuse, dietary deficiencies