Marchiafava-Bignami Disease: a Reality. A Case Report

Abstract

Marchiafava-Bignami disease has been recognized as a syndrome characterized by necrosis and focal demyelination of the corpus callosum. It was first described in 1903 by the pathologists Marchiafava and Bignami in three Italian alcoholic patients who drink red wine. The case of a 55-year-old patient is reported, alcoholic, who attended with generalized epileptic seizures and impaired level of consciousness. Magnetic resonance imaging of the skull revealed demyelination of the corpus callosum, white and gray matter of the parietal and frontal lobes, leading to the diagnosis of acute Marchiafava-Bignami type A disease. The patient died of hospital-acquired pneumonia 15 days later of income. Knowledge of this disease is necessary, because despite the poor prognosis of its acute form, cases of good evolution with timely diagnosis and treatment are reported. The case is presented with the aim of evidencing the diagnosis of a rare disease that can be expressed in a variable way and qualifies as a medical emergency.

Keywords

• enfermedad de marchiafava-bignami
• resonancia magnética
• reporte de casos