Wernicke's Encephalopathy Key Symptoms
Wernicke's encephalopathy is a serious neurological condition resulting from thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency.
Diagnostic Triad
The classic presentation includes three main features:
- Mental Changes: Confusion, altered consciousness, or apathy.
- Ophthalmoplegia: Impaired eye movement control (e.g., nystagmus, paralysis of ocular muscles).
- Cerebellar Ataxia: Loss of muscle coordination, affecting balance and walking.
Solution Justification
The first option accurately lists these three core symptoms: mental impairment, ophthalmoplegia, and cerebellar ataxia.
The other options are less accurate as they contain symptoms like facial palsy or hearing loss, which are not characteristic of the primary Wernicke's triad.
Important Questions from Vitamin B Complex Deficiency
Consider the following statements regarding Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome :
1. It is a rare complication of chronic alcohol misuse characterised by opthalmoplegia, ataxia and delirium.
2. There is damage to the mammillary bodies and dorsomedial nuclei of thalamus.
3. The underlying cause is deficiency of Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin).
4. The syndrome can also arise due to malabsorption or protracted vomiting.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A 35 year old man with history of alcoholism presents with ophthalmoplegia, ataxia and global confusion. The treatment of choice for this patient is:
- The classical features of Wernicke's encephalopathy are the following except:
- Vitamin B$_{12}$ deficiency can cause the following except:
- Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
