Wernicke Encephalopathy

Introduction and purpose: This paper reviews the complaints and associated symptoms/consequences of lacking essential nutrients and vitamins in our central and peripheral nervous systems. This has become important as there has been a rise in malnutrition following the increasing incidence of bariatric surgery for obesity.

Methods: A case report example involving review of the clinical presentation and treatment.

Results: A 30-year-old Caucasian woman who had gastric sleeve surgery did not take the recommended capsules as they were too large to swallow. She noted diplopia and oscillopsia 2 months later, which led her to have full orthoptic and neuro-ophthalmic evaluations. After being treated with chewable vitamins with thiamine, she noted a tremendous improvement in her symptoms.

Conclusion: Wernicke encephalopathy is a disease that was seen more in the 1940s and 1950s, following war times and mostly in underdeveloped countries. However, with the increasing utilization of bariatric surgery for obesity, neurological offices are seeing more patients with neurological impairments. We recommend inquiring about any obesity surgery in one's history and including Wernicke encephalopathy in possible differential diagnoses in those patients who have a recent onset of strabismus or nystagmus, altered mental status, and/or gait ataxia.