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Non-alcoholic beriberi, Wernicke encephalopathy and long-term eating disorder: case report and a mini-review

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Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Nowadays, reports of beriberi are rare in developed countries. Wernicke encephalopathy may be present in about 25% of patients with beriberi.

Case report

We report the case of a woman with history of depression and chronic eating disorder, who complained Wernicke encephalopathy and beriberi. Sural nerve and muscular biopsy were performed, showing severe axonal neuropathy. Thiamine supplementation was started with rapid improvement of the pulmonary and cardiac affections; improvement of peripheral neuropathy was incomplete.

Conclusions

Thiamine deficiency can be misdiagnosed. Beriberi is an important cause of acute flaccid paralysis; hence, clinicians should consider this diagnosis and prompt start thiamine treatment to avoid permanent neurological sequelae.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurology Unit, “A. Manzoni” Hospital-ASST Lecco, Via dell’Eremo 9/11, 23900, Lecco, Italy

    Vittorio Mantero, Nicola Rifino, Gisella Costantino, Graziella Bianchi, Andrea Salmaggi & Andrea Rigamonti

  2. Cardiology Unit, “A. Manzoni” Hospital-ASST Lecco, Lecco, Italy

    Andrea Farina

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, “A. Manzoni” Hospital-ASST Lecco, Lecco, Italy

    Ugo Pozzetti

  4. Neuromuscular and Rare Diseases Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy

    Monica Sciacco & Michela Ripolone

Authors
  1. Vittorio Mantero
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  2. Nicola Rifino
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  3. Gisella Costantino
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  4. Andrea Farina
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  5. Ugo Pozzetti
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  6. Monica Sciacco
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  7. Michela Ripolone
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  8. Graziella Bianchi
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  9. Andrea Salmaggi
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  10. Andrea Rigamonti
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vittorio Mantero.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no actual or potential conflicts of interest including any financial, personal, or other relationships with other people or organizations. No financial support has been related to the manuscript being submitted. All authors approved the contents of the manuscript and validated the accuracy of the data.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from the patient for the publication of this case report.

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Mantero, V., Rifino, N., Costantino, G. et al. Non-alcoholic beriberi, Wernicke encephalopathy and long-term eating disorder: case report and a mini-review. Eat Weight Disord 26, 729–732 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-00880-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-00880-0

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