Abstract:

Objective To explore the etiology, clinical features, imaging characteristics and therapeutic regimen for Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome(WKS). Methods One case of WKS associated with corpora candicans atrophy resulting from acute pancreatitis was retrospective analyzed, and related literature were reviewed. Results A 29-year-old female patient suffered from sudden acute pancreatitis during pregnancy, and was subject to cesarean section. Typical Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) triad-sign manifestations were gradually found with the patient treated with long-term fasting & water deprivation, gastrointestinal decompressionand plasma exchange, the fabrication, delusion, anterograde forgetting and head nuclear magnetic were found with the patient later, symmetry abnormal signal of bilateral thalamus near ventricle and atrophic corpora candicans appeared gradual. The patient was comprehensively diagnosed as WKS and recovered well after vitamin B1 treatment. Conclusion WKS is a treatable and preventable disease. Clinicians should be alert to the occurrence of the disease for patients required to have fasting for a long time, and must supplement B1 to avoid adverse consequences.

Key words: acute pancreatitis, thiamine, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, corpora candicans atrophy