[Marchiafava-Bignami disease. 3 cases with favorable prognosis].
BACKGROUND
Marchiafava-Bignami disease is a complication of chronic alcoholism, with acute or subacute demyelination of the corpus callosum. Although subacute and benign forms of the disease have been described since the development of CT scan and MRI, it has usually a poor prognosis.


METHODS
We report three cases of Marchiafava-Bignami disease with favorable outcome. One of the patient was comatose upon hospital admission. Interhemispheric dysconnection syndrome was evidenced in two patients. CT scan and MRI showed lesions extending to the callosal white matter in these patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Potential existence of Marchiafava-Bignami disease should be investigated in patients presenting with chronic alcoholism and mental confusion. However, accompanying coma and white matter demyelination should not necessarily be considered of poor prognosis. Clinical evaluation of interhemispheric dysconnection is of value in patients presenting with chronic alcoholism and mental confusion.
Diraison
P
P
Service de neurologie, CHU la Cavale-Blanche, Brest, France.
Rouhart
F
F
Goas
P
P
Auclerc-Guichaoua
S
S
Gomes
C
C
Mocquard
Y
Y
Goas
J Y
JY
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D001037:Aphasia / Q000209:etiology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D003128:Coma / Q000209:etiology; D003221:Confusion / Q000209:etiology; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology*; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome