title: Beriberi cardiomyopathy.
abstract: In Indonesia beriberi is still endemic, but subclinical cases are not uncommon. Three patients suffering from beriberi presented with different clinical manifestations. One had the classical features of Shoshin beriberi and the other two had the non-alcoholic cardiac beriberi (chronic type). The cardiac symptoms of all three patients responded dramatically to thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide; there was also some improvement of their polyneuropathy, consistent with the neurophysiologic findings and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs). We conclude that SSEPs provide additional clinical information on beriberi polyneuropathy. The mortality of untreated cardiovascular beriberi is high. In view of the harmless nature of the treatment, a good case could be made for routine administration of thiamine to all patients in whom heart failure is present without clear evidence of the cause.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Airlangga University, Faculty of Medicine, Dr Soetomo Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Djoenaidi
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Notermans
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dunda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001602:Beriberi / Q000150:complications*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D002310:Cardiomyopathy, Alcoholic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory; D005666:Fursultiamin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D005666:Fursultiamin