Nonalcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy

CJEM. 2016 Jul;18(4):309-12. doi: 10.1017/cem.2015.27. Epub 2015 May 19.

Abstract

Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) is a serious neurologic condition resulting from thiamine deficiency. The majority of cases involve alcoholism; however, nonalcohol-associated WE does occur and is under-recognized. We discuss a case of a 22-year-old man with a history of Crohn's disease who presented to our emergency department with multiple neurologic complaints related to WE.

Keywords: Wernicke’s encephalopathy; nutritional deficiency; thiamine deficiency.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Dysarthria / diagnosis
  • Dysarthria / etiology
  • Emergency Service, Hospital
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Infusions, Intravenous
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Male
  • Phenytoin / administration & dosage*
  • Risk Assessment
  • Seizures / diagnosis
  • Seizures / etiology
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Thiamine / administration & dosage*
  • Thiamine Deficiency / complications*
  • Thiamine Deficiency / diagnosis
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vertigo / diagnosis
  • Vertigo / etiology
  • Wernicke Encephalopathy / diagnostic imaging
  • Wernicke Encephalopathy / drug therapy*
  • Wernicke Encephalopathy / etiology
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Phenytoin
  • Thiamine