Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Marchiafava-Bignami Disease:  A Comparative Study

Chen, Xiao; Wang, Yuanwei; Wang, Ying; Tong, Daoming; Zhu, Baolin

doi:10.4236/nm.2016.73011

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…The current view is that alcoholic MBD appears to have a poorer prognosis than non-alcoholic MBD. [30] One study compared the prognosis of patients with corpus callosum abnormalities identical to MBD but not related with drinking or malnutrition to that of patients with alcoholic MBD, indicating that nonalcoholic patients had a better prognosis. [13] But each of the conclusions came from a review of the literature on previous ndings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retrospective analysis of 21 cases of Marchiafava-Bignami disease in alcoholic in Southwest China

Wang

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD) is a rare disease with only a few reports worldwide. To describe clinical features and identify difficulties in the treatment of alcohol-related MBD, we performed a retrospective study of 21 MBD inpatients at a hospital in Southwest China. The interquartile range (IQR) for age was 53-66, with a mean age of 59 years. The IQR for drinking duration was 30-40, with a mean drinking length of 35.5 years. Cognitive impairment and unconsciousness were the most common symptoms (n=13, [61.9%]). Consciousness disorders, delirium, irritability, and ataxia are more prevalent in type A MBD patients; seizures, cognitive impairment, and limb weakness are more common in type B MBD patients. Routine blood and biochemical tests in alcoholic MBD patients may demonstrate orthocytic hypochromic anaemia and impaired liver function. Patients' uric acid (UA), potassium, and sodium levels may be normal. Eight patients received thiamine, while one received steroids. The average stay was 15 days. At the time of discharge, there had been no deaths. One patient died six months after being discharged, while another died two years afterwards. Indeed, MBD is a rare alcohol-related disorder with a variety of clinical symptoms. With thiamine treatment, prognosis is positive.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retrospective analysis of 21 cases of Marchiafava-Bignami disease in alcoholic in Southwest China

Wang

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…The pathologic findings of the MBD are characterized by symmetrical demyelination and necrosis of the corpus callosum. No more than 300 cases of MBD have been reported so far, and most of the patients in the MBD cases had history of alcohol abuse or chronic alcoholism [ 7 8 ]. Although the first case of MBD symptoms was described by Carducci in 1898, the disease was finally named after Marchifava and Bignami, who originally suggested the relation between the disease and increased consumption of alcohol, which was mass produced red wine in that case [ 1 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Co-occurrence of Marchiafava-Bignami Disease and Alcoholic Polyneuropathy in Chronic Alcoholic Patient Who Had Past History of Wernicke Encephalopathy: a Case Report

2021

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Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD), Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) and alcoholic polyneuropathy (AP) are distinct diseases and all have strong relationship with chronic alcoholism. A 70-year-old male who had altered mentality and ataxia of both lower limbs and had past history of WE 3 years previously admitted with 6 months history of impaired walking. He also had a symptom of altered sensorium by impaired consciousness for 2 days. In brain magnetic resonance imaging, the body, splenium of corpus callosum and bilateral frontal cortex were involved. The patient was diagnosed with MBD on the basis of the clinical features and the brain imaging findings. The electrodiagnostic findings implied demyelinating neuropathy in all extremities. He failed to recover his mentality and the function of the limbs remained poor finishing several treatment options including medications and physical therapy. The poor prognosis of this patient is thought to be associated with cortical involvement of MBD. We reported this very rare case who was affected by 3 distinct diseases of MBD, AP, and WE as complications of chronic alcohol abuse. Moreover, the case was relevant to a rare clinical presentation of MBD with cortical involvement which was associated with poor prognosis.

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“…The increase in serum osmolarity produced by alcohol is relied onserum concentration, molecular weights, and metabolic rate. Toxic effects of alcohol and its metabolites can cause demyelination of the corpus callosum [2]. Despite alcohol is the principal element, there are other causes that can be factors such as cyanide and CO poisoning, sepsis, sickle cell disease and Plasmodium infection [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Importance of Brain MRI in the Diagnosis of Marchiafava-Bignami Disease

Cm¹,

Cagy²,

Santos³

et al. 2017

Journal of Neurology and Neurological Disorders

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Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD) is a neurological disorder that has been found to be associated with chronic alcoholism and malnutrition. We report a 45 year old man, chronic alcoholic that developed discouragement for activities involving daily living, changes in retrograde memory in addition to mutism and gait instability. Brain MRI showed central atrophy of the corpus callosum(CC), hypointensity(necrosis) and ventricular dilation(white matter and subcortical region involvement). Pathological characteristics include isolated demyelination and axonal loss in the central layer of the CC sparing the dorsal and ventral layer. This pattern of necrosis of the middle layer of the CCis a typical finding in the disease. The clinical diagnosis has considerably changed during recent decades after brain MRI provided the opportunity of a reliable in-vivo diagnosis. With early detection and treatment, the prognosis of MBD may be good. Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD) is a rare complication related to alcohol abuse and chronic malnutrition which results in demyelination and symmetrical necrosis of the central layer of the corpus callosum [1]. Serum anion gap and osmotic gap can be observed in patients ingesting etanol. The serum anion gap still might be high, which could lead to the demyelination syndrome. The increase in serum osmolarity produced by alcohol is relied onserum concentration, molecular weights, and metabolic rate. Toxic effects of alcohol and its metabolites can cause demyelination of the corpus callosum [2]. Despite alcohol is the principal element, there are other causes that can be factors such as cyanide and CO poisoning, sepsis, sickle cell disease and Plasmodium infection [3]. The clinical presentation is variable, including mental confusion, dementia, psychosis, spasticity and dysarthria [4]. Since the symptoms are not specific, the clinical diagnosis can be difficult, being the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of pivotal value in the investigation [5]. Diffuse thickening of the CC andT1 and T2 prolonged areas in the CC are considered characteristic MRI findings at the acute phase. It has been reported that the first change on MRI is diffuse swelling of the corpus callosum, followed by a genu lesion, and finally by a splenium lesion, sparing the rostrum [5,6]. T1-weighted MRI in the subacute to chronic stage shows hypointense cystic-necrotic lesions in the corpus callosum in addition to callosal atrophy. Extracallosal lesions have been reported involving predominantly the periventricular white matter or the basal ganglia [7].

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Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Marchiafava-Bignami Disease: A Comparative Study

Cited by 6 publications

References 25 publications

Retrospective analysis of 21 cases of Marchiafava-Bignami disease in alcoholic in Southwest China

Retrospective analysis of 21 cases of Marchiafava-Bignami disease in alcoholic in Southwest China

Co-occurrence of Marchiafava-Bignami Disease and Alcoholic Polyneuropathy in Chronic Alcoholic Patient Who Had Past History of Wernicke Encephalopathy: a Case Report

The Importance of Brain MRI in the Diagnosis of Marchiafava-Bignami Disease

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