Cortical damage in Wernicke's encephalopathy with good prognosis: a report of two cases and literature review

A case report of Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome in a patient with cholangiocellular carcinoma: An underestimated cause of encephalopathy in cancer patients

INTRODUCTION

Wernicke's encephalopathy, a disorder caused by thiamin deficiency, is characterized by a classical triad of encephalopathy, ataxia, and ophthalmoplegia. Although alcoholism is the most common predisposing factor, it can also be associated with nonalcoholic states (hyperemesis gravidarum, intestinal obstruction, bariatric surgery, and others). This work presents a case of nonalcoholic Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome diagnosed in a cholangiocellular carcinoma patient and literature review.

CASE REPORT

A 65-year-old male patient with a history of cholangiocellular carcinoma (Klatskin tumor) was treated with radiotherapy at the operation site after Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. During follow-up, the patient developed gastric outlet obstruction and was diagnosed with peritoneal carcinomatosis after a palliative gastrojejunostomy. As the patient could not tolerate oral nutrition during hospitalization, total parenteral nutrition was administered. After 10 days of admission, the patient showed decreased response to verbal stimuli as well as bilateral horizontal nystagmus, lethargy, and disorientation. Furthermore, the patient displayed confabulation. Clinical and imaging findings were consistent with Wernicke's encephalopathy. Therefore, treatment with intravenous thiamin replacement was initiated. The patient's encephalopathy regressed on the second day after treatment, and he recovered the place-person-time orientation. In the following month, the abnormal imaging findings were almost entirely resolved.

CONCLUSION

In order to prevent irreversible brain damage induced by chronic thiamin deficiency, thiamin replacement therapy with parenteral nutrition solutions should be included as a treatment for hospitalized cancer patients unable to receive enteral nutrition for a long time.

Gayet Wernicke's encephalopathy with cortical damage following a subtotal gastrectomy: An uncommon association

Wernicke's encephalopathy is a pathological entity caused by Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) deficiency in malnourished individuals, especially alcoholics, patients operated for digestive surgery or suffering from gastrointestinal tract's diseases or incoercible vomiting. Classically it manifests by confusion with oculomotor disorders and ataxia. However, other neurological manifestations are possible. Magnetic resonance imaging is the gold standard imaging technique for diagnosis. It shows signal abnormality on periventricular area around the third and fourth ventricles and on mammillary bodies in the most common cases, however other localizations are possible, in particular the cerebral cortex, which can explain the occurrence of epileptic seizures in some patients. Early administration of Thiamine, intravenously or intramuscularly, allows ad-integrum recovery, while delayed treatment is associated with serious consequences in terms of mortality and morbidity with debilitating neurological sequelae. The presence of cortical lesions is of poor prognosis despite a well-managed treatment. In this article, we report a nonalcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy case, following a subtotal gastrectomy. Epileptic seizures were the major clinical manifestation, related to the associated cortical lesions. Despite early and well-managed treatment, the patient had a poor prognosis, with progression, after one month, to a persistent chronic vegetative state.

Wernicke's encephalopathy-induced hearing loss complicating sleeve gastrectomy

A 25-year-old woman brought to the hospital with symptoms of acute confusion, disorientation, diplopia, hearing loss and unsteady gait which started 4 days prior to her presentation with rapid worsening in its course until the day of admission. She had a surgical history of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy 2 months earlier which was complicated by persistent vomiting around one to three times per day. She lost 30 kg of her weight over 2 months and was not compliant to vitamin supplementation. CT of the brain was unremarkable. Brain MRI was done which showed high signal intensity lesions involving the bilateral thalamic regions symmetrically with restricted diffusion on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging. Other radiological investigations, such as magnetic resonance venography and magnetic resonance angiography of the brain were unremarkable. An official audiogram confirmed the sensorineural hearing loss. A diagnosis of Wernicke's encephalopathy due to thiamin deficiency post-sleeve gastrectomy was made based on the constellation of her medical background, clinical presentation and further supported by the distinct MRI findings. Consequently, serum thiamin level was requested and intravenous thiamin 500 mg three times per day for six doses was started empirically, then thiamin 250 mg intravenously once daily given for 5 more days. Marked improvement in cognition, eye movements, strength and ambulation were noticed soon after therapy. She was maintained on a high caloric diet with calcium, magnesium oxide, vitamin D supplements and oral thiamin with successful recovery of the majority of her neurological function with normal cognition, strength, reflexes, ocular movements, but had minimal resolution of her hearing deficit. Serum thiamin level later was 36 nmol/L (67-200).

A case of Wernicke's encephalopathy following complicated laparoscopic pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy

Laparoscopic pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD)/pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is cautiously regarded as a safe and effective approach in well-selected patients with periampullary cancer. However, postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF), delayed gastric emptying (DGE), postoperative bleeding, and sepsis and detrimental complications that can follow PPPD/PD. These complications can result in poor oral intake for a significant period of nothing per oral (NPO) or deterioration of long-term function. A 65-year-old man underwent laparoscopic PPPD for ampulla of vater (AoV) cancer. After surgery, He experienced POPF, DGE, Postoperative bleeding and these complications result in poor oral intake for one month. Approximately 50 days after surgery, an abrupt confused state was noted. He had horizontal nystagmus and ataxia. Abnormal Brain magnetic resonance imaging tomography findings detected in the bilateral medial thalami, dorsal midbrain, and medulla. The association of confusion, ataxia, and horizontal nystagmus along with poor oral intake and the MRI findings suggested acute Wernicke's encephalopathy. After thiamine therapy, He recovered completely. Wernicke's encephalopathy is very rare, but it can progress coma and even death. Therefore, Wernicke's encephalopathy needs to be considered in patients with complicated PPPD/PD associated with malnutrition.

Wernicke encephalopathy concurrent with polyradiculoneuropathy in a young man after bariatric surgery: A case report

RATIONALE

Bariatric surgery is the recommended treatment for morbid obesity because of its rapid and sustained body weight loss effect. Nutrient deficiency-related neurological complications after bariatric surgery are often disabling. Thus, early recognition of these complications is important. Neurological complications involving the central and peripheral nerve system after bariatric surgery were reported. However, the report on the clinical course of the concurrent involvement of central and peripheral nervous system is limited. We present a rare case of a patient who developed Wernicke encephalopathy concurrent with polyradiculoneuropathy after receiving bariatric surgery.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 22-year-old man with a history of morbid obesity presented progressive bilateral lower limbs weakness, blurred vision, and gait disturbance 2 months after receiving laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. Bilateral lower limb numbness and cognition impairment were also noted.

DIAGNOSIS

Brain magnetic resonance imaging and electrophysiologic studies confirmed the diagnosis of Wernicke encephalopathy concurrent with acute polyradiculoneuropathy.

INTERVENTIONS

Vitamin B and folic acid were given since admission. He also received regular intensive rehabilitation program.

OUTCOMES

The subject's cognitive impairment and diplopia improved 1 week after admission under medical treatments, yet lower limb weakness and gait disturbance were still noted. After a month of intensive inpatient rehabilitation, he was able to ambulate with a walker for 30 munder supervision.

LESSONS

Nutrient deficiency-related neurological complications after bariatric surgery are often disabling and even fatal. Prevention of neurological complications can be improved through close postsurgical follow-up of the nutritional status. Recognizing the signs and symptoms and evaluating the medical history are critical to the early diagnosis and treatment of this potentially serious yet treatable condition.

Epileptic seizures in nonalcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy: a case report and literature review

Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) is characterized by eye signs, cerebellar dysfunction, and confusion. Epileptic seizures are rare in nonalcoholic WE. We reviewed the clinical, laboratory, radiological, and prognostic characteristics of nonalcoholic WE accompanied by epileptic seizures. We reported 1 case and searched similar cases using PubMed, WoK, Ovid, and Embase. WE was diagnosed according to dietary deficiencies, clinical symptoms and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We reviewed 13 patients (median age, 27 years; 5 men) with clear histories of thiamine deficiency and symptoms of typical WE. The type of epileptic seizures reported in the 13 cases reviewed was generically reported as seizures or convulsions in 4 patients; 7 patients had generalized tonic-clonic seizures, 1 partial seizure, and 1 generalized convulsive status epileptics. Two patients had epileptic seizures as the first symptom of WE. Laboratory tests mainly indicated metabolic acidosis and electrolyte disturbances. Electroencephalography may present as normal patterns, increased slow waves or epileptic discharge. Six patients had cortical lesions on brain MRI. These lesions were usually diffuse and band-like, and sometimes involved all lobes either symmetrically or asymmetrically, with the frontal lobe as the most susceptible area. All cortical lesions were accompanied by non-cortical lesions typical of WE. Brain MRI abnormalities, after thiamine treatment, mostly disappeared on follow-up MRIs. The patients had good prognoses. Only 1 patient had repeated seizures, and there were no comas or deaths. Patients with nonalcoholic WE accompanied by seizures are young and generally have good prognoses. Most patients experienced generalized convulsive seizures, which may have been related to abnormal cerebral cortical metabolism due to subacute thiamine deficiency.

Non-alcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy with cortical involvement and polyneuropathy following gastrectomy

In this study, we present the clinical manifestations, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and concurrent polyneuropathies in two patients with non-alcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) after gastrojejunostomy (Billroth II) anastomosis procedures. These patients developed sub-acute onset of disorientation and disturbance of consciousness following several weeks of poor intake. Peripheral neuropathy of varying severity was noted before and after the onset of WE. Brain MRI of the patients showed cerebellar vermis and symmetric cortical abnormalities in addition to typical WE changes. Electrophysiological studies demonstrated axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathy. Prompt thiamine supplement therapy was initiated and both patients gradually recovered, however mild amnesia was still noted 6 months later. We reviewed non- alcoholic WE with atypical cortical abnormalities in English language literatures and identified 29 more cases. Eight out of 31 (25.8%) patients died during follow-up. Nine patients with gait disturbance or motor paresis had showed hyporeflexia in neurological examinations. In addition to classic triad, seizure was recorded in seven patients. Dietary deprivation is a risk factor for non-alcoholic WE among elderly patients receiving gastrointestinal surgery. The prognosis is good after thiamine supplement therapy. Recognizing the MRI features and predisposing factors in patients who have undergone gastrectomy can aid in the diagnosis and management.