Wernicke's encephalopathy following hyperemesis gravidarum

  • Indian J Crit Care Med. 2014 Mar;18(3):164-6. doi: 10.4103/0972-5229.128706.
Sandeep Kantor  1 ,  Sadanandan Prakash  1 ,  Juhi Chandwani  1 ,  Antara Gokhale  1 ,  Kalpana Sarma  1 ,  Maher J Albahrani  1
Affiliations
  • 1. Division of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman.
PMID: 24701066 DOI: 10.4103/0972-5229.128706
Abstract

Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) is a potentially reversible yet serious neurological manifestation caused by vitamin B1(thiamine) deficiency. It is commonly associated with heavy alcohol consumption. Other clinical associations are with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), starvation, and prolonged intravenous feeding. Most patients present with the triad of ocular signs, ataxia, and confusion. It can be associated with life-threatening complication like central pontine myelinolysis (CPM). We report two cases of WE following HG, with two different outcomes.

Keywords
Central pontine myelinolysis; Wernicke's encephalopathy; hyperemesis gravidarum.