A case report: Non-alcoholic Wernicke encephalopathy associated with polyneuropathy

J Int Med Res. 2017 Dec;45(6):1794-1801. doi: 10.1177/0300060517699039. Epub 2017 Apr 3.

Abstract

We report a rare case of non-alcoholic Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) with polyneuropathy. A 24-year-old woman who had recently served a 4-month prison sentence and underwent a short period of dieting manifested slow response, weakness, language disorder and amnesia. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed typical lesions of WE. Examination of nerve conduction velocity revealed sensory-motor axonal polyneuropathy. The patient was immediately treated with thiamine. Neurological symptoms were alleviated in a few days and abnormal signals were markedly decreased in a follow-up MRI 1 week later. Polyneuropathy symptoms ameliorated during hospital therapy and significantly improved after 4 months. This case suggests that WE may be associated with polyneuropathy in non-alcoholic patients. Early thiamine treatment in symptomatic patients may improve prognosis.

Keywords: Polyneuropathy; Wernicke encephalopathy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Neural Conduction
  • Polyneuropathies / complications*
  • Polyneuropathies / physiopathology
  • Wernicke Encephalopathy / complications*
  • Wernicke Encephalopathy / physiopathology
  • Young Adult