TWO CASES OF NON-ALCOHOLIC WERNICKE ENCEPHALOPATHY SUCCESSFULLY TREATED BY THIAMINE REPLACEMENT: DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC CONSIDERATIONS

Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) is an acute neurologi- cal disorder, due to a lack of thiamin (vitamin B1) which is observed mainly in alcoholic patients. Unfortunately, the syn- drome is underestimated in clinical practice and most often recognized only on autopsy, especially among non-alcoholics. The common clinical picture include mental status changes, ocular dysfunction, and gait ataxia. Treatment consists of timely thiamine replacement through intravenous infusion.We describe the case of two patients who developed a non-alcoholic WE post-surgical, regressed completely after intravenous infusion of thiamine. These cases suggest intere- sting diagnostic and therapeutic implications.