Features of the diagnosis of Wernicke’s encephalopathy: a clinical case

Abstract

Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) is a rare neurological disorder caused by vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency and is associated with a significant risk of developing persistent neurological deficiency, chronification, disability and ultimately death if the aetiopathogenetic therapy with high doses of vitamin B1 is initiated late. Objective: to raise awareness among physicians about the characteristics of clinics, diagnostics and treatment of Wernicke's encephalopathy. Materials and methods. Retrospective analysis of the medical records of a patient with alcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy. Results. This paper presents the own clinical observation of a patient with newly diagnosed alcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy, clinical manifestations and MRI picture, describes the main features of aetiology and pathogenesis of this pathological process. Conclusion. An important role in the diagnosis of WE is played by the correct collection of anamnestic data and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, which has a sufficiently high specificity and is the only diagnostic method that allows this disease to be identified with high reliability. Thus, it is the thorough collection of anamnesis and the timely MRI examination that allow the doctor to point in the right direction of the diagnostic search in a timely manner.