Encephalopathies are part of a particular group of pathologies, characterized by a structural and functional alteration of the brain .
The various types of encephalopathy differ from each other due to the triggering causes - to which they usually owe their names - for the symptoms, for the complications, for the treatment and for the prognosis.
Congenital or acquired, an encephalopathy can last a lifetime ( permanent encephalopathy ) or may have a more or less important margin of healing ( temporary encephalopathy ).
A form of encephalopathy of usually temporary nature, consequent to the deficiency or worse still to the exhaustion of the reserves of vitamin B1 (or thiamine), is the so-called Wernicke's encephalopathy or Wernicke's disease .
Two conditions are the main cause of a lack of vitamin B1 in humans, such as to generate an alteration in the brain. Serious alcoholism, because it is generally accompanied by a deficient intake of nutrients, and chronic malnutrition due to lack of nutrients. of food.
OTHER RISK FACTORS
In addition to alcoholism and chronic malnutrition, other factors such as: can affect the appearance of Wernicke's encephalopathy- Bariatric surgery . Its potential negative influence on vitamin B1 reserves (and not only) has only recently been discovered.
- Pancreatitis, liver dysfunction, chronic diarrhea, Crohn's disease, celiac disease, thyrotoxicosis;
- Chemotherapy, renal dialysis, bone marrow transplantation;
- Incomplete parenteral nutrition;
- Repeated vomiting, food malabsorption, hyperemesis gravidarum;
- Tumors, HIV, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, febrile infections;
- Some genetic diseases, which alter the intracellular transport system of vitamin B1.
ORIGIN OF THE NAME
Wernicke's encephalopathy is named after a German neurologist, named Carl Wernicke, who identified it in 1881 .Wernicke's discoveries about the disease were partial; in fact, the crucial role played by thiamine and its deficiency was recognized only in 1930.
Epidemiology
The data relating to the spread of Wernicke's encephalopathy are rather limited.This is due to several reasons, one of which is certainly the sometimes asymptomatic character of the disease.
According to some surveys, 0.8-2.8% of autopsies performed on the general population would reveal the presence of Wernicke's encephalopathy. However, this is a poorly reliable statistic, because not all dead people are subjected to autopsy.
Finally, based on other research, it is believed that man is more at risk than women.
