Central pontine myelinolysis. A case report with typical neuropathological findings.

A case of central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) in an alcoholic patient with severe electrolyte changes is presented. Data in the literature suggest that it is safe to correct severe symptomatic hyponatremia to a value of 125-130 mEq/1 in 24 h. At the present time acute severe hyponatremia carries a bad prognosis if not treated with hypertonic NaCl solution. Electrolyte abnormalities are not the sole cause of CPM.