Wernicke–Korsakov Syndrome

Objective. To study the characteristics of the diagnosis and treatment of non-alcoholic-related Wernicke–Korsakov syndrome (WKS). Materials and methods. Eight patients (five men and three women) with mean age 38.9 ± 1.4 years with WKS were observed; WKS in three patients developed on the background of acute and two on the background of exacerbations of chronic gastrointestinal tract diseases with malabsorption, and in three after surgery to the upper segments of the gastrointestinal tract Results. Illness debuted with impaired consciousness. Symptoms of ataxia, oculomotor disorders, and bulbar syndrome started after 24–48 h. One patient developed a treatment-resistant state of tonic-clonic seizures. The brain MRI picture was characterized by the presence of hyperintense foci on T2-weighted images in the areas of the hypothalamus, mammillary bodies, brainstem, and cerebellum, with accumulation of contrast in the mammillary bodies. Patients received treatment with a complex of group B vitamins (Neurobion) and thiamine, with positive results Conclusions. Patients with gastrointestinal tract diseases accompanied by malabsorption are at risk of developing WKS. The appearance of changes in consciousness, ataxia, and oculomotor disorders in these patients is an indication to start thiamine therapy, thus preventing the development of stable cognitive deficit.

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