Demencia por déficit de vitamina B12: Caso clínico

Behrens P, María Isabel; Díaz T, Violeta; Vásquez V, Carolina; Donoso S, Archibaldo

Keywords: tomography, dementia, vitamin b12 deficiency, emiss on computed, single photon

Abstract

"Cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) deficiency can cause polyneuropathy, myelopathy, blindness, confusion, psychosis and dementia. Nonetheless, its deficiency as the sole cause of dementia is infrequent. We report a 59 years old man with a 6 months history of progressive loss of memory, disorientation, apathy, paranoid delusions, gait difficulties with falls, and urinary incontinence. He had suffered a similar episode 3 years before, with a complete remission. On examination there was frontal type dementia with Korsakoff syndrome, a decrease in propioception and ataxic gait. Cerebrospinal fluid examination showed a protein of 0.42 g/L. Brain computed tomography showed sequelae of a frontal left trauma. Brain single photon computed tomography (SPECT) was normal. Complete blood count showed a macrocytic anemia with a hematocrit 29% and a mean corpuscular volume of 117 µ3. Plasma vitamin B12 levels were undetectable, erythrocyte folate levels were 3.9 ng/ml and plasma folate was normal. The myelogram showed megaloblastosis and the gastric biopsy showed atrophic gastritis. Treatment with parenteral B12 vitamin and folic acid reverted the symptoms, with normalization of the neuropsychological tests and reintegration to work (Rev Méd Chile 2003; 131: 915-9)"

Más información

Título según WOS: ID SCIELO:S0034-98872003000800012 Not found in local WOS DB
Título según SCIELO: Demencia por d�ficit de vitamina B12: Caso cl�nico
Título de la Revista: REVISTA MEDICA DE CHILE
Volumen: 131
Número: 8
Editorial: SOC MEDICA SANTIAGO
Fecha de publicación: 2003
Página de inicio: 909
Página final: 914
Idioma: es
URL: http://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-98872003000800012&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en
DOI:

10.4067/S0034-98872003000800012

Notas: ISI, SCIELO