Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome associated with hyperemesis gravidarum and fetal death: Case report and literature review

We describe a clinical case of a pregnant patient with hyperemesis gravidarum who progressed to abortion, Wernicke's encephalopathy, and Korsakoff's psychosis, all related to thiamine deficiency. The patient presented symptoms of disorientation, nonspecific limb movements, and fever, initi...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Marinho, Sâmya Pessoa de Amorim, Furtado, Raquel Viana, Lemos, Paola Lima, Correia, Jose Walter, Barbosa, Orivaldo Alves
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:Brasil
Institución:Centro Universitário Christus (Unichristus)
Repositorio:Journal of Health & Biological Sciences
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.emnuvens.com.br:article/4810
Acceso en línea:https://periodicos.unichristus.edu.br/jhbs/article/view/4810
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Wernicke Encephalopathy
Korsakoff Syndrome
Pregnancy
Hyperemesis gravidarum
Neurologia
Descripción
Sumario:We describe a clinical case of a pregnant patient with hyperemesis gravidarum who progressed to abortion, Wernicke's encephalopathy, and Korsakoff's psychosis, all related to thiamine deficiency. The patient presented symptoms of disorientation, nonspecific limb movements, and fever, initially treated with metronidazole and ceftriaxone for suspected infected abortion. Subsequently, the patient was diagnosed with retained and infected abortion, and thiamine replacement therapy was initiated with an intravenous loading dose of 900 mg/day. During hospitalization, the patient presented with tetraparesis, nystagmus, decreased level of consciousness, anterograde and retrograde amnesia, confabulation, and aphasia. Magnetic resonance imaging showed lesions in the pons, typical of Wernicke's encephalopathy. The patient was empirically treated with acyclovir and ampicillin and showed clinical improvement. The text also provides a brief narrative review of the literature on the topic.