Abstract
Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) is traditionally seen in the emergency department in patients with chronic alcohol abuse. WE can result in significant morbidity and mortality if untreated, making early diagnosis and intervention paramount. We discuss a case of WE in a 63-year-old female with no history of chronic alcohol abuse, who presented with bilateral opthalmoplegia that resolved after intravenous thiamine administration. This case report highlights the varied clinical settings other than chronic alcohol abuse in which the diagnosis of WE should be considered.
Highlights
Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) is traditionally associated with chronic alcohol abuse and characterized by some combination of ataxia, ophthalmoplegia, and altered mental status
We discuss a case of WE in a 63-year-old female with no history of chronic alcohol abuse, who presented with bilateral opthalmoplegia that resolved after intravenous thiamine administration
We present a case of one such atypical presentation to highlight the various risk factors and clinical settings in which WE can occur
Summary
Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) is traditionally seen in the emergency department in patients with chronic alcohol abuse. WE can result in significant morbidity and mortality if untreated, making early diagnosis and intervention paramount. We discuss a case of WE in a 63-year-old female with no history of chronic alcohol abuse, who presented with bilateral opthalmoplegia that resolved after intravenous thiamine administration. This case report highlights the varied clinical settings other than chronic alcohol abuse in which the diagnosis of WE should be considered. This case report highlights the varied clinical settings other than chronic alcohol abuse in which the diagnosis of WE should be considered. [Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. 2017;1(2):95–97.]
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