Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: Difference between revisions

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==Background==
==Background==
*Wernicke’s Encephalopathy (WE): ACUTE neuro/cardiovascular sx caused by thiamine deficiency
*Wernicke’s Encephalopathy: '''acute''' neurologic symptoms caused by [[thiamine deficiency]]
*Korsakoff’s Psychosis (KP): CHRONIC neurologic symptoms caused by thiamine deficiency
*Korsakoff’s Psychosis: '''chronic''' neurologic symptoms caused by thiamine deficiency
*Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS): presence of WE + KP simultaneously
*Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS): presence of Wernicke's Encephalopathy + Korsakoff's Psychosis simultaneously


==Epidemiology==
===Epidemiology===
*Only 20% identified before death, failure of dx leads to 20% mortality and 75% permanent damage
*Only 20% identified before death, failure of diagnosis leads to 20% mortality and 75% permanent damage


==Causes==
===Pathophysiology===
*Anything that causes thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency: poor dietary intake, malabsorption, increased metabolic requirement
*Thiamine plays critical role in:
**Chronic alcoholism, dieting/fasting/starvation, anorexia, vomiting/diarrhea, unbalanced TPN, GI surgery, malignancy, dialysis, AIDS, IBD, pancreatitis, liver disease, thyrotoxicosis
**Energy production pathways (Kreb's cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, pyruvate dehydrogenase)
***Deficiency leads to [[lactic acidosis]], altered brain metabolism
**Lipid metabolism (including myelin sheath formation)
***Alterations in myelination leads to peripheral neuropathy
*Brain lesions/atrophy usually occur in: mamillary bodies (nearly all cases), thalamus, periaqueductal gray matter, 3rd/4th ventricle, cerebellum, frontal lobe


==Pathophysiology==
===Causes===
*Brain lesions/atrophy occurs: mamillary bodies (nearly all cases), thalamus, periaqueductal gray matter, 3rd/4th ventricle, cerebellum, frontal lobe
*Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency caused by
 
**Insufficient intake (e.g. chronic alcoholism, starvation/anorexia, severe vomiting/diarrhea, unbalanced TPN)
==Diagnosis==
**Malabsorption (post-gastrectomy, [[IBD]], [[pancreatitis]]
WE/KP/WKS = clinical diagnoses
**Increased metabolic requirements (malignancy, [[thyrotoxicosis]])
**Thiamine losses (hemodialysis)
**Miscellaneous: AIDS, liver disease


==Clinical Features==
===Wernicke’s Encephalopathy===
===Wernicke’s Encephalopathy===
*Classic triad: encephalopathy, oculomotor dysfunction, gait ataxia
*Classic triad: [[encephalopathy]], oculomotor dysfunction, gait [[ataxia]]
*werNICke mnemonic:  
*wer'''NIC'''ke mnemonic:  
**N: Nystagmus/ophthalmoplegia
**'''N'''ystagmus/ophthalmoplegia
**I: Incoordination/ataxia
***Ocular findings may also include bilateral 6th nerve palsy, conjugate gaze palsy, pupillary abnormality, retinal hemorrhage, ptosis. 
**C: Confusion/memory impairment
**'''I'''ncoordination/ataxia
*Other sx: hypotension, tachycardia, EKG abnormalities, DOE, CHF sx, hypothermia, coma, dry/wet Beriberi
**'''C'''onfusion/memory impairment
*Other symptoms:  
**[[Hypotension]], tachycardia, ECG abnormalities
**[[Dyspnea]] on exertion, [[CHF]] symptoms
**Hypothermia,  
**Dry/wet [[beriberi]]
**[[Coma]]


===Korsakoff’s Psychosis===
===Korsakoff’s Psychosis===
*Sx: anterograde/retrograde amnesia, confabulation, confusion, apathy
*Antero/retrograde amnesia
*Confabulation, confusion, apathy


===Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome===
==Differential Diagnosis==
*Sx: combination of WE and KP
{{Ethanol DDX}}
{{Vitamin deficiencies DDX}}


==Treatment==
==Evaluation==
If suspect WE/KP/WKS: thiamine 500 mg IV over 30 min TID x 2 days, then 500 mg IV/IM q day for 5 days, then 100 mg PO q day until pt no longer at risk
*Clinical diagnosis
*Wernicke's Encephalopathy - at least 2 of the following:<ref>Isenberg-Grzeda E, Kutner HE, Nicolson SE. Wernicke-Korsakoff-syndrome: under-recognized and under-treated. Psychosomatics. 2012 Nov-Dec;53(6):507-16.</ref>:
**Nutritional deficiency
**Ocular findings (ophthalmoplegia, nystagmus)
**Ataxia
**Mental status change


==Management==
''If you suspect, then treat! Confirming diagnosis is difficult, treatment is low risk and effective, and morbidity/mortality is high if untreated''
*[[Thiamine]] 500mg IV over 30 min TID x 2 days, then 500mg IV/IM q day for 5 days, then 100mg PO q day until patient no longer at risk
**Give [[magnesium]]; hypomagnesemic state may be resistant to thiamine administration
**Treatment can take days to weeks to work if at all (despite accurate diagnosis)
**Give thiamine BEFORE glucose in patients requiring glucose who are at risk for thiamine deficiency; glucose without thiamine can precipitate/worsen WE by driving thiamine intracellularly


If suspect at risk for thiamine deficiency but no sx: thiamine 100 mg PO q day
==Disposition==
*Admit


==Prevention==
{{Vitamin prophylaxis for ETOH}}


*If you suspect WE/KP/WKS then treat it! Diagnosis is clinical and difficult to confirm, treatment is simple/inexpensive/effective, there is little risk to treatment, and the risk of morbidity/mortality from not treating is high
==See Also==
 
{{Ethanol DDX}}
*Give magnesium; hypomagnesemic state may be resistant to thiamine administration
 
*Give multivitamin; pt at risk for other vitamin deficiencies


*For chronic alcoholics always consider banana bag: thiamine 100 mg + magnesium 2-4 g + folate 1 mg + multivitamin; all in 1L NS or D5W
==Video==
{{#widget:YouTube|id=6MhVkxiZdck}}


*Remember to give thiamine BEFORE glucose in pts requiring glucose who are at risk for thiamine deficiency; glucose without thiamine can precipitate/worsen WE by driving thiamine intracellularly
==References==
 
<references/>
==See Also==
*[[Beriberi]]
*[[Thiamine deficiency]]


[[Category:Neuro]]
[[Category:Neurology]]

Revision as of 23:06, 7 November 2017

Background

  • Wernicke’s Encephalopathy: acute neurologic symptoms caused by thiamine deficiency
  • Korsakoff’s Psychosis: chronic neurologic symptoms caused by thiamine deficiency
  • Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS): presence of Wernicke's Encephalopathy + Korsakoff's Psychosis simultaneously

Epidemiology

  • Only 20% identified before death, failure of diagnosis leads to 20% mortality and 75% permanent damage

Pathophysiology

  • Thiamine plays critical role in:
    • Energy production pathways (Kreb's cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, pyruvate dehydrogenase)
    • Lipid metabolism (including myelin sheath formation)
      • Alterations in myelination leads to peripheral neuropathy
  • Brain lesions/atrophy usually occur in: mamillary bodies (nearly all cases), thalamus, periaqueductal gray matter, 3rd/4th ventricle, cerebellum, frontal lobe

Causes

  • Thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency caused by
    • Insufficient intake (e.g. chronic alcoholism, starvation/anorexia, severe vomiting/diarrhea, unbalanced TPN)
    • Malabsorption (post-gastrectomy, IBD, pancreatitis
    • Increased metabolic requirements (malignancy, thyrotoxicosis)
    • Thiamine losses (hemodialysis)
    • Miscellaneous: AIDS, liver disease

Clinical Features

Wernicke’s Encephalopathy

  • Classic triad: encephalopathy, oculomotor dysfunction, gait ataxia
  • werNICke mnemonic:
    • Nystagmus/ophthalmoplegia
      • Ocular findings may also include bilateral 6th nerve palsy, conjugate gaze palsy, pupillary abnormality, retinal hemorrhage, ptosis.
    • Incoordination/ataxia
    • Confusion/memory impairment
  • Other symptoms:

Korsakoff’s Psychosis

  • Antero/retrograde amnesia
  • Confabulation, confusion, apathy

Differential Diagnosis

Ethanol related disease processes

Vitamin deficiencies

Evaluation

  • Clinical diagnosis
  • Wernicke's Encephalopathy - at least 2 of the following:[1]:
    • Nutritional deficiency
    • Ocular findings (ophthalmoplegia, nystagmus)
    • Ataxia
    • Mental status change

Management

If you suspect, then treat! Confirming diagnosis is difficult, treatment is low risk and effective, and morbidity/mortality is high if untreated

  • Thiamine 500mg IV over 30 min TID x 2 days, then 500mg IV/IM q day for 5 days, then 100mg PO q day until patient no longer at risk
    • Give magnesium; hypomagnesemic state may be resistant to thiamine administration
    • Treatment can take days to weeks to work if at all (despite accurate diagnosis)
    • Give thiamine BEFORE glucose in patients requiring glucose who are at risk for thiamine deficiency; glucose without thiamine can precipitate/worsen WE by driving thiamine intracellularly

Disposition

  • Admit

Prevention

Vitamin Prophylaxis for Chronic alcoholics

  • At risk for thiamine deficiency, but no symptoms: thiamine 100mg PO q day
  • Give multivitamin PO; patient at risk for other vitamin deficiencies

Banana bag

The majority of chronic alcoholics do NOT require a banana bag[2][3]

See Also

Ethanol related disease processes

Video

{{#widget:YouTube|id=6MhVkxiZdck}}

References

  1. Isenberg-Grzeda E, Kutner HE, Nicolson SE. Wernicke-Korsakoff-syndrome: under-recognized and under-treated. Psychosomatics. 2012 Nov-Dec;53(6):507-16.
  2. Krishel, S, et al. Intravenous Vitamins for Alcoholics in the Emergency Department: A Review. The Journal of Emergency Medicine. 1998; 16(3):419–424.
  3. Li, SF, et al. Vitamin deficiencies in acutely intoxicated patients in the ED. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2008; 26(7):792–795.