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Case ReportOpen Access
Marchiafava-Bignami Disease : A Case Report
Pasuthamchat N 
,
Phanthumchinda K
,
Phanthumchinda K NATH PASUTHARNCHAT, M.D.*,
KAMMANT PHANTHUMCHINDA, M.D.*
Marchiafava-Bignami Disease (MBD) is a rare, severe and usually fatal neurological dis-
order associated with chronic alcoholism. Previously, the definite diagnosis was confirmed at the
autopsy. After the era of modem imaging technology, diagnosis was based on clinical profiles, his-
tory of alcoholism and specific location of pathology in corpus the callosum demonstrated by MRI.
The authors reported a case of MBD in a 41 year-old alcoholic Thai male who presented with acute
confusion and ataxia. MRI of the brain demonstrated qemyelination, edema and necrosis of the
corpus callosum with extensive symmetrical subcortical white matter lesions. He had a dramatic
recovery after treatment with intravenous thiamine. Follow-up MRI revealed atrophic and cystic
changes of the corpus callosum and almost complete resolution of the subcortical lesions. Recently,
15 cases of MBD with specific corpus callosal lesion, demonstrated by MRI, were published in the
English literature. All had a favorable outcome after treatment with thiamine. Only one case had
extensive extracallosal lesions and this case also had a good recovery after treatment. Now, MBD
is not a fatal disease and early diagnosis and treatment are crucial.
Key word : Marchiafava-Bignami Disease, Alcohol, Corpus Callosum
KAMMANT PHANTHUMCHINDA, M.D.*
Marchiafava-Bignami Disease (MBD) is a rare, severe and usually fatal neurological dis-
order associated with chronic alcoholism. Previously, the definite diagnosis was confirmed at the
autopsy. After the era of modem imaging technology, diagnosis was based on clinical profiles, his-
tory of alcoholism and specific location of pathology in corpus the callosum demonstrated by MRI.
The authors reported a case of MBD in a 41 year-old alcoholic Thai male who presented with acute
confusion and ataxia. MRI of the brain demonstrated qemyelination, edema and necrosis of the
corpus callosum with extensive symmetrical subcortical white matter lesions. He had a dramatic
recovery after treatment with intravenous thiamine. Follow-up MRI revealed atrophic and cystic
changes of the corpus callosum and almost complete resolution of the subcortical lesions. Recently,
15 cases of MBD with specific corpus callosal lesion, demonstrated by MRI, were published in the
English literature. All had a favorable outcome after treatment with thiamine. Only one case had
extensive extracallosal lesions and this case also had a good recovery after treatment. Now, MBD
is not a fatal disease and early diagnosis and treatment are crucial.
Key word : Marchiafava-Bignami Disease, Alcohol, Corpus Callosum
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