Nystagmus and abducens nerve palsy as an early presentation of non-alcoholic Wernicke encephalopathy
Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) is a rare but life-threatening syndrome that is commonly associated with chronic alcoholism. It has also been found to be associated with malnutrition, prolonged parenteral nutrition, hemodialysis, hyperemesis gravidarum, gastroplasty, and AIDS. It usually presents as a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
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Springer Science and Business Media
2024
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/117138/ |
| _version_ | 1848867173224677376 |
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| author | Darussalam, Siti Hajar Mohd Isa, Muhammad Md Saleh, Rafidah Mohmood, Adzleen Mohammad Razali, Amirah |
| author_facet | Darussalam, Siti Hajar Mohd Isa, Muhammad Md Saleh, Rafidah Mohmood, Adzleen Mohammad Razali, Amirah |
| author_sort | Darussalam, Siti Hajar |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) is a rare but life-threatening syndrome that is commonly associated with chronic alcoholism. It has also been found to be associated with malnutrition, prolonged parenteral nutrition, hemodialysis, hyperemesis gravidarum, gastroplasty, and AIDS. It usually presents as a clinical triad of confusion, ophthalmoplegia, and gait ataxia. Nystagmus is usually the most common and earliest ophthalmologic sign. We report a case of non-alcoholic WE in a patient who had prior bariatric surgery and was treated for malnutrition and sepsis, with nystagmus being the initial presentation. The MRI of the brain was normal. The diagnosis of WE was made clinically and was supported by the patient's symptomatic and clinical recovery following intravenous thiamine treatment. It is essential to highlight that a high level of suspicion is needed to diagnose non-alcoholic WE to allow the commencement of appropriate treatment and reduce morbidity and mortality rates related to this condition. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:32:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-117138 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:32:17Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Springer Science and Business Media |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1171382025-04-29T04:06:16Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/117138/ Nystagmus and abducens nerve palsy as an early presentation of non-alcoholic Wernicke encephalopathy Darussalam, Siti Hajar Mohd Isa, Muhammad Md Saleh, Rafidah Mohmood, Adzleen Mohammad Razali, Amirah Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) is a rare but life-threatening syndrome that is commonly associated with chronic alcoholism. It has also been found to be associated with malnutrition, prolonged parenteral nutrition, hemodialysis, hyperemesis gravidarum, gastroplasty, and AIDS. It usually presents as a clinical triad of confusion, ophthalmoplegia, and gait ataxia. Nystagmus is usually the most common and earliest ophthalmologic sign. We report a case of non-alcoholic WE in a patient who had prior bariatric surgery and was treated for malnutrition and sepsis, with nystagmus being the initial presentation. The MRI of the brain was normal. The diagnosis of WE was made clinically and was supported by the patient's symptomatic and clinical recovery following intravenous thiamine treatment. It is essential to highlight that a high level of suspicion is needed to diagnose non-alcoholic WE to allow the commencement of appropriate treatment and reduce morbidity and mortality rates related to this condition. Springer Science and Business Media 2024 Article PeerReviewed Darussalam, Siti Hajar and Mohd Isa, Muhammad and Md Saleh, Rafidah and Mohmood, Adzleen and Mohammad Razali, Amirah (2024) Nystagmus and abducens nerve palsy as an early presentation of non-alcoholic Wernicke encephalopathy. Cureus. ISSN 2168-8184 https://www.cureus.com/articles/211394-nystagmus-and-abducens-nerve-palsy-as-an-early-presentation-of-non-alcoholic-wernicke-encephalopathy 10.7759/cureus.52121 |
| spellingShingle | Darussalam, Siti Hajar Mohd Isa, Muhammad Md Saleh, Rafidah Mohmood, Adzleen Mohammad Razali, Amirah Nystagmus and abducens nerve palsy as an early presentation of non-alcoholic Wernicke encephalopathy |
| title | Nystagmus and abducens nerve palsy as an early presentation of non-alcoholic Wernicke encephalopathy |
| title_full | Nystagmus and abducens nerve palsy as an early presentation of non-alcoholic Wernicke encephalopathy |
| title_fullStr | Nystagmus and abducens nerve palsy as an early presentation of non-alcoholic Wernicke encephalopathy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nystagmus and abducens nerve palsy as an early presentation of non-alcoholic Wernicke encephalopathy |
| title_short | Nystagmus and abducens nerve palsy as an early presentation of non-alcoholic Wernicke encephalopathy |
| title_sort | nystagmus and abducens nerve palsy as an early presentation of non-alcoholic wernicke encephalopathy |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/117138/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/117138/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/117138/ |