Objective:The objective of this study was to describe the demographic features, clinical presentation, and management and outcome of fifty cases of nonalcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy from a tertiary care hospital of a region with reported incidence of thiamine deficiency disorders.Materials and Methods:In a retrospective study, fifty adult cases of Wernicke's encephalopathy were analyzed. The diagnosis of Wernicke's encephalopathy was made according to the European federation of neurological societies guidelines 2010. Response to thiamine replacement and associated brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were also considered as supportive evidence.Results:The mean age of patients was 50.38 years with 20 males and 30 females. The most common clinical manifestations were alteration in sensorium in 30 (60%), ataxia in 18 (36%), memory impairment in 15 (30%), nystagmus in 35 (70%), ophthalmoparesis in 11 (22%), and seizures in 4 (8%). A total of 42 patients had a history of recurrent vomiting. All patients had polished rice as their staple diet. Thirty-five patients had associated polyneuropathy and 15 had a gastrointestinal disorder. Twenty patients underwent MRI which showed both typical and atypical lesions. Majority of patients showed partial or complete response to intravenous thiamine. On discharge, the most common residual symptoms were lower limb weakness, ataxia, and memory impairment.Conclusion:The study shows high incidence of nonalcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy in the region with predominant causative factor being a thiamine deficient diet. Recurrent vomiting can be a prominent early symptom of thiamine deficiency and its recognition can help in the early diagnosis of Wernicke's encephalopathy and related thiamine deficiency disorders. Thiamine fortification of food should be done in areas with reported incidence of thiamine deficiency disorders.
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a disorder defined by clinical criteria that include signs and symptoms isolated to those produced by increased intracranial pressure (ICP; e. g., headache, papilledema, and vision loss), elevated ICP with normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) composition, and no other cause of intracranial hypertension evident on neuroimaging or other evaluations. The most common signs in IIH are papilledema, visual field loss, and unilateral or bilateral sixth cranial nerve palsy. Here we report a case of IIH presenting as headache with vision loss, papilledema, complete ophthalmoplegia with proptosis in one eye, and sixth cranial nerve palsy in the other eye. Patient was managed with acetazolamide, topiramate, and diuretics. Symptoms remained static and she was planned for urgent CSF diversion procedure.
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