title: Dry beriberi mimicking the Guillain-Barre syndrome.
abstract: A 44-year-old man is described with severe flaccid quadriparesis that evolved over 3 weeks. He had regularly binged on alcohol-up to 20 cans of beer per day with occasional consumption of spirits-for more than 15 years but had balanced this with regular food intake. However, for a week prior to the current episode he had not eaten anything of significance. Nerve conduction studies revealed a background peripheral, mainly sensory, neuropathy with a superimposed acute motor axonopathy. CSF was normal. He improved with high dose vitamin replacement and physiotherapy but remains dependent on a Zimmer frame for mobility and a splint for wrist drop.
authors.affiliation: Greater Manchester Neuroscience Centre, Salford Royal Hospital, Stott Lane, Salford M6 8HD, UK. drclmurphy@aol.com
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: I Hussain
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Bangash
authors.forename: Anoop
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020268:Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020269:Alcoholic Neuropathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D001602:Beriberi / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D018450:Disease Progression; D005530:Foot Deformities / Q000209:etiology; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006732:Horner Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011149:Pons / Q000473:pathology; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013832:Thiamine Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome