Update on Wernicke’s: considerations on epidemiology (II)

Abstract

Wernicke Encephalopathy (WE) is frequently missed out in clinical practice. The consequences of under diagnosing WE are deleterious. WE is caused by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency and may occur in alcoholic and non-alcoholic patients. A better knowledge on epidemiology may shed light on the real nature of this condition. In this short review we outline epidemiological factors associated with WE.

Keywords

• wernicke’s encephalopathy
• thiamine defi ciency
• epidemiology