CC BY 4.0 · Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2020; 42(10): 672-675
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1714721
Case Report

Wernicke Encephalopathy as a Complication of Hyperemesis Gravidarum: Case Report

Encefalopatia de Wernicke como complicação de hiperêmese gravídica: Relato de caso
1   Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
,
1   Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
,
2   Department of Medical Imaging, Hematology, and Clinical Oncology, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
,
1   Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
,
1   Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
,
1   Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
› Institutsangaben

Abstract

Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) is an acute neurological disorder resulting from vitamin B1 deficiency, which is common in chronic alcoholism. We report a rare case of WE due to hyperemesis gravidarum in a 25-year-old pregnant patient at 13 weeks and 5 days of gestation. Initially, the disease manifested as weakness, mental confusion, anterograde amnesia, and visual and auditory hallucinations. The diagnosis was established after the detection of suggestive findings of WE in the thalamus by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a rapid improvement in the patient's clinical status subsequent to treatment with thiamine. Hyperemesis is a rare cause of WE, which makes the reported case important in the literature and reinforces the need for attention in clinical practice to rare but important complications of this common condition (hyperemesis gravidarum).

Resumo

A encefalopatia de Wernicke (EW) é uma condição neurológica aguda resultada da deficiência de vitamina B1, muito comum em etilistas crônicos. Relatamos um caso de EW secundário a um quadro de hiperêmese gravídica em uma gestante de 25 anos de idade e 13 semanas e 5 dias de idade gestacional. Inicialmente essa desordem se manifestou como fraqueza, confusão mental, amnésia anterógrada, e alucinações auditivas e visuais. O diagnóstico foi estabelecido depois da detecção de achados sugestivos de EW na ressonância nuclear magnética e da melhora do quadro clínico com reposição de tiamina. A hiperêmese gravídica não é uma causa comum de EW, o que faz com que o presente relato de caso tenha importância na literatura e reforça a necessidade de atenção na prática clínica para complicações raras mas importantes desse quadro tão comum (hiperêmese gravídica).



Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 12. Mai 2020

Angenommen: 03. Juni 2020

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
31. Oktober 2020

© 2020. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

 
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