Psychiatr. praxi. 2025;26(1):43-45 | DOI: 10.36290/psy.2025.008

Case study of a patient with Wernicke's encephalopathy caused by excessive diet

Šimon Pisko1, prof. MUDr. Bc. Libor Ustohal, Ph.D.1, 2
1 Psychiatrická klinika LF MU a FN Brno
2 Ústav farmakologie a toxikologie, FaF MU, Brno

The patient was admitted to the Department of Psychiatry of Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno with a diagnosis of a delirious state not superimposed on dementia. Based on a more detailed medical history and another assessment, the cause of this state and of the duration of some symptoms was determined as Wernicke's encephalopathy. Treatment was adjusted accordingly using thiamine, which led to further improvement of the patient's condition. Due to persistent ataxia, the patient was subsequently transferred to the neurology rehabilitation department.

Keywords: Wernicke's encephalopathy, delirious state not superimposed on dementia, ataxia, thiamine.

Accepted: March 27, 2025; Published: April 10, 2025  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Pisko Š, Ustohal L. Case study of a patient with Wernicke's encephalopathy caused by excessive diet. Psychiatr. praxi. 2025;26(1):43-45. doi: 10.36290/psy.2025.008.
Download citation

References

  1. Vodička M. Wernickeova encefalopatie. Neurol. Praxi. 2015;16(6):360-364.
  2. Harper CG, Giles M, Finlay-Jones R. Clinical signs in the Wernicke-Korsakoff complex: a retrospective analysis of 131 cases diagnosed at necropsy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1986;49:341-345. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  3. Caine D, Halliday GM, Kril JJ, et al. Operational criteria for the classification of chronic alcoholics: identification of Wernicke's encephalopathy. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 1997;62(1):51-60. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  4. Antunez E, Estruch R, Cardenal C, et al. Usefulness of CT and MR imaging in the diagnosis of acute Wernicke's encephalopathy. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1998;171:1131-1137. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  5. Weidauer S, Nichtweiss M, Lanfermann H, et al. Wernicke's encephalopathy: MR findings and clinical presentation. Eur Radiol. 2003;13:1001-09. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  6. Gibb WR, Gorsuch AN, Lees AJ, et al. Reversible coma in Wernicke's encephalopathy. Postgrad Med J. 1985;61:607-610. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...




Psychiatry for Practice

Madam, Sir,
please be aware that the website on which you intend to enter, not the general public because it contains technical information about medicines, including advertisements relating to medicinal products. This information and communication professionals are solely under §2 of the Act n.40/1995 Coll. Is active persons authorized to prescribe or supply (hereinafter expert).
Take note that if you are not an expert, you run the risk of danger to their health or the health of other persons, if you the obtained information improperly understood or interpreted, and especially advertising which may be part of this site, or whether you used it for self-diagnosis or medical treatment, whether in relation to each other in person or in relation to others.

I declare:

  1. that I have met the above instruction
  2. I'm an expert within the meaning of the Act n.40/1995 Coll. the regulation of advertising, as amended, and I am aware of the risks that would be a person other than the expert input to these sites exhibited


No

Yes

If your statement is not true, please be aware
that brings the risk of danger to their health or the health of others.