Diagnostic value of MRI in patients with nonalcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy: a report of 5 cases / 中华神经医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze the clinical features and MR imaging features of patients with nonalcoholic Wemicke's encephalopathy (WE). Methods A retrospective review of the data,consisting of clinical and cranial MRI features, and the treatment results, was conducted on 5 patients with nonalcoholic WE, who admitted to our hospital fiom June 2007 to February 2010. Results The clinical features of nonalcoholic WE were non-characterized and most of them had no specific value for diagnosis. MR imaging showed symmetrical high signal in the medial thalamus, lateral ventricle, third ventricle and surrounding area of the aqueduct of midbrain; involvement of the cerebral cortex was found in 2 patients. Enhancement in some of the lesions was noted after performing contrast-enhanced scan.Favorable prognosis was given to the 3 patients treated with vitamin B1; 2 patients died. Conclusion Cerebral MRI enjoys great value in diagnosing nonalcoholic WE and reflects appropriately the pathological severity of this disease by demonstrating the scope of the lesions.