Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome following attempted hanging.

The case of an alcoholic man is reported who survived a suicidal hanging attempt, and subsequently suffered of amnesia, dementia, apathy and behavioural abnormalities. A clinical diagnosis of hypoxic brain damage was made, but upon autopsy six years later, extensive pseudosystematic thalamic degeneration and mammillary body atrophy were found, indicating a status post Wernicke encephalopathy. Precipitation of the disease is attributed to the synergetic effect of cerebral hypoxia/ischemia and thiamine deficiency.