Wernicke-korsakoff encephalopathy and polyneuropathy after gastroplasty for morbid obesity: report of a case.

BACKGROUND Gastric partitioning is a surgical procedure for the treatment of morbid obesity that may engender neurological complications, such as Wernicke encephalopathy and polyneuropathy. SETTING A specialist hospital. PATIENT A 36-year-old woman developed Wernicke-Korsakoff encephalopathy and polyneuropathy 3 months after gastroplasty for morbid obesity. A magnetic resonance scan documented the diagnosis, and a clear improvement occurred after parenteral thiamine treatment. In our patient and in previously described cases of the literature, postsurgical vomiting is a constant finding that seems to be the precipitating factor of neurological complications of gastric partitioning. CONCLUSION Persistent vomiting after gastroplasty for morbid obesity should be considered an alarming symptom to treat immediately with appropriate measures.