ERNICKE’S ENCEPHALOPATHY: A CASE REPORT

Shijin VS
Department of Pharmacy Practice, The Dale view College of Pharmacy and Research Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Naiema Shajihan
Department of Pharmacy Practice, The Dale view College of Pharmacy and Research Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Tijo PS
Department of Pharmacy Practice, The Dale view College of Pharmacy and Research Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Vismaya VR
Department of Pharmacy Practice, The Dale view College of Pharmacy and Research Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Kavitha TR
Department of Pharmacy Practice, The Dale view College of Pharmacy and Research Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Sruthy Sivan
Department of Pharmacy Practice, The Dale view College of Pharmacy and Research Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
Lallu Mariam Jacob
Department of Pharmacy Practice, The Dale view College of Pharmacy and Research Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
M. Balachandran Nair
Consultant Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, SK Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.

Wernicke’s encephalopathy ,delirium ,hepatic encephalopathy ,ADS ,malnutrition ,

Wernicke’s encephalopathy is an acute neuropsychiatric syndrome, which produces reversible biochemical lesions on the brain, caused due to the deficiency of Vitamin B (thiamine). Around 90% of Vitamin B1 deficiencies are associated with alcohol misuse. The current case describes such an instance in a 47 year old male patient who was admitted to the Psychiatric department with violent behavior. The patient had history of ethanol related cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, ADS (Alcohol dependence syndrome), delirium, ataxia, tremor and last episodes of seizure. Based on the clinical manifestation and MRI scan, the patient was diagnosed with Wernicke’s encephalopathy. The symptoms were resolved after the administration of Thiamine (Vitamin B1). Wernicke’s encephalopathy can be underdiagnosed because it is not easily distinguished from hepatic encephalopathy. This case is beneficial to raise the awareness of clinicians and prevents the risk of Wernicke’s encephalopathy in critically ill patient with liver disease.

9 , 2 , 2019