title: Wernicke's encephalopathy after prolonged fasting.
abstract: Wernicke's encephalopathy has been associated rarely with fasting. We describe a middle-aged patient who presented in a subacute fashion with features of thiamin deficiency after marked weight reduction. Associated features were chest pain, possibly related to cardiac involvement, and a proximal myopathy. The Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome has been described in the literature for around 100 years. However, the classic triad of ataxia, ophthalmoplegia and impaired conscious state that occurs in a person with chronic alcoholism is by no means its exclusive presentation.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D005215:Fasting / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013831:Thiamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013832:Thiamine Deficiency / Q000209:etiology; D014899:Wernicke Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D013831:Thiamine