Bulletin de la Societe de Pathologie Exotique
Volume 101, Issue 5, 2008, Pages 402-403

Gayet-Wernicke's encephalopathy. A study of 13 cases observed in a refugee population hospitalized at the Conakry teaching hospital [Encéphalopathie de Gayet-Wernicke. Étude de 13 observations dans une population de patients réfugiés hospitalisés pour affections neurologiques au CHU de Conakry] (Article)

Cissé A.F. , Camara N. , Diallo L.L. , Morel Y. , Koné S. , Camara M.I. , Koumbassa M.L. , Tafsir D. , Soumah D. , Djigué B.S. , Camara O.B. , Barry M. , Bangoura S.A. , Kourouma S. , Da Silva L. , Cissé A.*
  • a Service de Neurologie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • b Service de Neurologie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • c Service de Neurologie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • d Service de Neurologie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • e Service de Neurologie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • f Service de Neurologie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • g Service de Neurologie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • h Service de Neurologie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • i Service de Neurologie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • j Service de Neurologie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • k Service de Neurologie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • l Service de Psychiatrie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • m Service de Neurologie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • n Service de Neurologie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • o Service d'Imagerie Médicale, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea
  • p Service de Neurologie, CHU Conakry Guinée, Guinea

Abstract

The authors report 13 cases of Gayet-Wernicke's encephalopathy observed in 13 patients of a refugee population. 11 presented the classical triad: oculomotor signs, cerebral ataxia and state of confusion and in 2 patients, only 2 symptoms were noted. The etiological factors: chronic alcoholism, malnutrition, incontrollable vomiting, HIV and tuberculosis were identified. The outcome was evaluated on the basis of the disappearance of symptoms after treatment with 500 mg of thiamine in 7 patients, 1 death and 5 patients progressed toward Korsakoff amnesic syndrome.

Author Keywords

Afrique intertropicale Ocular sign Ataxia Conakry Thiamine Hospital Confusion Refugee Guinea

Index Keywords

confusion HIV Infections refugee Human immunodeficiency virus infection psychological aspect survival rate thiamine Guinea human Refugees survivor Survivors pathology alcoholism Wernicke encephalopathy Humans tuberculosis Article mortality
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-58449108607&doi=10.3185%2fpathexo3191&partnerID=40&md5=58365a047584e13d220142905bd9227e
DOI: 10.3185/pathexo3191
ISSN: 00379085
Cited by: 4
Original Language: French