Wernicke's encephalopathy and tobacco‐alcohol amblyopia reversed by multivitamin supplementation

Abstract

Wernicke's encephalopathy and optic neuropathy are two important neurological complications of chronic alcohol misuse, with the latter being a relatively rare presentation. We describe the case of a 41‐year‐old alcoholic patient who presented with these disorders. Alcohol, tobacco and poor diet were considered to be the probable aetiological factors. Intensive parenteral thiamine and vitamin therapy were administered as corrective measures, and within 10 days dramatic improvement in cognitive function, gait and visual acuity was apparent and confirmed by formal testing. This case emphasizes the need for strong clinical suspicion in identifying and treating these potentially reversible conditions.

• Alcoholism
• Wernicke's encephalopathy
• amblyopia