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KMID : 0371320060700030218
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Journal of the Korean Surgical Society
2006 Volume.70 No. 3 p.218 ~ p.222
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Wernicke’s Encephalopathy following Gastrectomy in Patients with Gastric Cancer
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Kim Min-Hyung
Won Jong-Man
Baek Jong-Min
Sung Ki-Young
Lee Do-Sang
You Won-Jong
Choi Young-Bin
Kim Wook
Park Il-Young
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Abstract
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Wernicke’s encephalopathy is a neurological disorder that is caused by a thiamine deficiency, and characterized by acute confusion, ataxia, a change in the patient’s state of mind and abnormal eye movement (opthalmophlegia and nystagmus). This encephalopathy can be found in patients with chronic alcoholism, anorexia nervosa, hemodialysis, AIDS and gastroplasty for morbid obesity. The diagnosis of this disease is difficult because not all cases display the typical symptoms. However, this disease can be confirmed not only by the clinical symptoms but also by the brain MRI findings, low thiamine level and clinical response to thiamine replacement therapy. We experienced two cases of Wernicke’s encephalopathy in patients who underwent a gastrectomy for gastric cancer. However, this condition was not diagnosed until the patients showed neurological symptoms and the typical MRI findings. These patients improved after vitamin B1 (thiamine) replacement. (J Korean Surg Soc 2006;70: 218-222)
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KEYWORD
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Wernicke encephalopathy, Thiamine deficiency, Gastrectomy
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