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Subclinical thiamine deficiency identified by preoperative evaluation in an ovarian cancer patient: Diagnosis and the need for preoperative thiamine measurement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 August 2018

Hideki Onishi ,
Mayumi Ishida ,
Nozomu Uchida ,
Daisuke Shintani ,
Tadaaki Nishikawa Open the ORCID record for Tadaaki Nishikawa [Opens in a new window] ,
Kosei Hasegawa ,
Keiichi Fujiwara  and
Tatsuo Akechi
Hideki Onishi*
Affiliation:
Department of Psycho-oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
Mayumi Ishida
Affiliation:
Department of Psycho-oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
Nozomu Uchida
Affiliation:
Department of General Medicine, Ogano Town Central Hospital, Saitama, Japan
Daisuke Shintani
Affiliation:
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
Tadaaki Nishikawa
Affiliation:
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
Kosei Hasegawa
Affiliation:
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
Keiichi Fujiwara
Affiliation:
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
Tatsuo Akechi
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Cognitive-Behavioral Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Aichi, Japan
*
Author for correspondence: Hideki Onishi, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Psycho-oncology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, 1397-1 Yamane, Hidaka City, Saitama 350-1298, Japan. E-mail: honishi@saitama-med.ac.jp
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Abstract

Objective

Although thiamine deficiency (TD) and Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) are not rare in cancer patients, the cases reported to date developed TD and/or WE after treatment had started.

Method

From a series of cancer patients, we report a patient diagnosed with TD without the typical clinical symptoms of WE at the preoperative psychiatric examination.

Result

A 43-year-old woman with ovarian cancer was referred by her oncologist to the psycho-oncology outpatient clinic for preoperative psychiatric evaluation. Her tumor had been growing rapidly before the referral. Although she did not develop delirium, cerebellar signs, or eye symptoms, we suspected she might have developed TD because of her 2-month loss of appetite as the storage capacity of thiamine in the body is approximately 18 days. The diagnosis of TD was supported by abnormally low serum thiamine levels.

Significance of results

Cancer therapists need to be aware that thiamine deficiency may occur even before the start of cancer treatment. In cases with a loss of appetite of more than 2 weeks’ duration, in particular, thiamine deficiency should be considered if the tumor is rapidly increasing, regardless of the presence or absence of delirium.

Keywords

Thiamine deficiencyWernicke encephalopathyOvarian cancerDeliriumVitamin B1
Type
Case Report
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 17 , Issue 5 , October 2019 , pp. 609 - 610
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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