ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Gayet-Wernicke's encephalopathy (GWE) is a neurological pathology caused by a Thiamine deficiency. While it is most often related to chronic alcoholism, GWE can occur in any situation that results in thiamine deficiency. It is a fairly common pathology that is frequently underdiagnosed and therefore under-treated, and is associated with a high mortality and morbidity rate. In the absence of pathognomonic signs, the diagnosis of GWE relies on a range of clinical, biological and radiological assessments. GWE is considered a medical emergency. We present a case of Gayet-Wernicke's Encephalopathy resulting from complete parenteral nutrition in an undernourished North African male operated for a left colon tumor. Through this report, our aim was to put the light on this often underknown disease and to remind the interest of thinking about this pathology in patients at risk of undernourishment especially in oncology. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old North African male with no personal or family history was operated for a sigmoid colon tumor. He was put on exclusive parenteral nutrition on day thirteen post-operatively and presented with a GWE on day sixteen post-operatively. The patient was treated with intravenous vitamin B1 on day eighteen post-operatively and deceased on day twenty-four post-operatively. CONCLUSIONS: Although most often associated with chronic alcoholism, GWE occurs in any situation where there is an increased energy demand or decreased nutritional intake especially in oncology. GWE is common but under-diagnosed and remains lethal if not treated urgently, hence the importance of prophylactic treatment.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Malignant ovarian germ cell tumor is a rare type of disease, which generally has a good prognosis due to the high chemosensitivity of this type of tumor. Fertility preservation is an important issue because malignant ovarian germ cell tumor commonly affects young women. Although conservation is the standard for early stage, it becomes more debatable as the disease progresses to more advanced stages. AIM: Report the case of a patient with an International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stage IIIc malignant ovarian germ cell tumor, who had conservative surgery and chemotherapy with a good fertility outcome. CASE PRESENTATION: A 23-year-old North African woman with a left malignant ovarian germ cell tumor stage IIIc was treated by left adnexectomy and omentectomy followed by chemotherapy. A 15-year follow-up showed no signs of relapse, and she completed three full-term natural pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS: Malignant ovarian germ cell tumor is a rare ovarian tumor with a good prognosis. It is usually associated with a good fertility outcome in early stages. However, due to the rarity of the disease in advanced stages, the fertility outcome for this group of patients is not clear. This lack of data surrounding advanced stages points to the need for a meta-analysis of all published cases.
