Wernicke's encephalopathy after prolonged fasting

Abstract

Wernicke's encephalopathy has been associated rarely with fasting. We describe a middle-aged patient who presented in a subacute fashion with features of thiamin deficiency after marked weight reduction. Associated features were chest pain, possibly related to cardiac involvement, and a proximal myopathy. The Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome has been described in the literature for around 100 years. However, the classic triad of ataxia, ophthalmoplegia and impaired conscious state that occurs in a person with chronic alcoholism is by no means its exclusive presentation.