Thiamine deficiency

This picture is classic for the acute neurologic manifestations of thiamine deficiency: opthalmoplegia, peripheral neuropathy, and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Many cases occurred several years ago because of a national shortage of parenteral multivitamins, and the failure to arrange for appropriate vitamin therapy in patients on long term intravenous artificial feeding. To my knowledge acute copper toxicity has not been reported as a complication of intravenous artificial feeding (PN). Acute pellegra could occur consequent to vitamin insufficiency, but this has not been reported, and the manifestations would include diarrhea and dermatitis. The described symptom complex is not that of vitamin A toxicity.