Plate · Wernicke encephalopathyAnterior view

Close-up

Wernicke encephalopathy

Thiamine deficiency

The figure showsLook at the face, hands and feet

Memory hook

The triad: confusion, ophthalmoplegia, ataxia. Give thiamine BEFORE glucose, or you will precipitate it.

Exam clue

If untreated it becomes Korsakoff psychosis: amnesia with confabulation, which is largely irreversible.

In India

Alcohol dependence, but also hyperemesis gravidarum and prolonged vomiting.

For study and revision. Check details against standard textbooks before relying on them clinically.

Medical review of this page is in progress.