Alcohol-Related Neurologic Disorders: Ten Years of Experiences.
- Author:
Se Ho OH
1
;
Su Yeon KIM
;
Kyung Seok PARK
;
Seong Ho PARK
Author Information
1. Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. nrpsh@snu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
Alcohol;
Wernicke's encephalopathy;
Alcoholic neuropathy;
Pellagra;
Marchiafava-Bignami disease;
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome
- MeSH:
Acetaldehyde;
Alcohol Drinking;
Alcohol Withdrawal Delirium;
Alcoholic Neuropathy;
Alcoholics;
Alcoholism;
Atrophy;
Electrolytes;
Humans;
Korea;
Liver;
Malnutrition;
Marchiafava-Bignami Disease;
Muscular Diseases;
Nervous System;
Nervous System Diseases;
Osmolar Concentration;
Oxygen;
Pellagra;
Peripheral Nervous System Diseases;
Psychotic Disorders;
Wernicke Encephalopathy
- From:Journal of the Korean Neurological Association
2009;27(2):85-97
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Alcohol-related disorders are among the most costly health problems worldwide. Ingested alcohol is mainly metabolized by an oxidative pathway in the liver. Alcohol and its metabolic products (e.g., acetaldehyde and reactive oxygen species) have toxic effects on multiple organs, especially the nervous system. The diverse mechanisms of alcohol-related neurologic disorders include the direct toxic effects of alcohol, the alcohol withdrawal effect, nutritional deficiency secondary to alcoholism, and abnormalities of serum electrolytes and osmolality. We analyzed 156 cases of alcoholrelated neurologic disorders among admitted patients that had been referred in Korea during the previous 10 years. The duration of alcohol consumption ranged from 0.5 to 47 years (mean=17.8 years) and the mean amount of alcohol intake per day was 245.5 g. The 156 patients had the following diseases: Wernicke's encephalopathy (n=81, 51.9%), peripheral neuropathy (n=68, 43.6%), delirium tremens (n=59, 37.8%), Rum fit (n=31, 19.9%), pellagra encephalopathy (n=29, 18.6%), Korsakoff's psychosis (n=22, 14.2%), cerebellar atrophy (n=11, 7.0%), and alcoholic myopathy (n=6, 3.8%). We report on these cases and review the literature on alcohol-related neurologic disorders.
