Wernicke’s encephalopathy: Is visual loss a red herring?

Abstract

Predominantly visual loss, is very rare in Wernicke’s encephalopathy. A 22 year old lady, in her 28th week of gestation, presented with a confused mental state, bilateral papilloedema with retinal hemorrhages, ophthalmoparesis, and cerebellar signs. Her MRI brain was suggestive of Wernicke’s encephalopathy and she recovered with intravenous thiamine.