Clinical Analysis Of30Cases Of Wernicke Encephalopathy

Objective:Study and analyze the clinical features of Wernicke encephalopathy, in order to improve the level of clinical diagnosis and treatment of Wernicke encephalopathy and decrease the missed and delayed diagnosis.Method:A total of30patients who were diagnosed as Wernicke encephalopathy and hospitalized in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, School of Medicine from January1,2000to February1,2013were retrospectively analyzed. These patients are divided into groups by gender, alcoholism or non-alcoholism, whether met ’triad’ or not. The differences between these groups were analyzed with the two-side test of Fisher’s exact probabilities in2*2table using the software PASW Statistics18.0, with P<0.05considered statistically significant.Results:In the30patients,17were male, with an average age of52±16.94years, and13women with an average age of55±16.48years. The clinical features of the male and the female have no statistical differences (P>0.05). And in these cases,7patients were alcoholics,23were non-alcoholics. In the alcoholics, the common symptoms were mental and memory disorder and cerebellum dysfunction. While for the non-alcoholics, eye symptoms were the most frequent, mental and memory disorder the second. Cerebellum dysfunction were more common seen in the alcoholics (P<0.05). And the alcoholics is more likely to appear as the ’triad’(P<0.05).19of the30cases appeared radiographic abnormalities, with no statistically significant difference found between the alcoholics and non-alcoholics.22of the30patients received large doses of vitamin B1and appeared effective in clinical symptoms and signs in10days. Patients that did not possess the typical appearance of ’triad’ were more likely to get improved in10days of treatment (P<0.05).Conclusion:In addition to alcoholics, the non-alcoholic Wernicke encephalopathy should also be brought to the clinical doctors’attention. The alcoholic and the non-alcoholic have different clinical features. With large dose of vitamin B1given, the Wernicke encephalopathy can be treated effectively. Efforts should be made to ensure early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment.