Cerebral salt-wasting syndrome in a child with Wernicke encephalopathy treated with fludrocortisone therapy A case report

Rationale for this case report: Cerebral Salt-Wasting Syndrome (CSWS) is characterized by hyponatremia and sodium wasting in the urine.[1] These conditions are triggered by various neurosurgical disorders such as subarachnoid hemorrhage, brain tumor, head injury, and brain surgery.[2,3] To our knowledge, CSWS caused by Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) has been rarely reported. Presentingconcerns of the patient: A 2-year-old male patient presented to our hospital due to a seizure attack. He had been neglected and refused to take food for a long time (body weight < 3rd percentile). During admission, the patient showed low serum osmolality, high urine osmolality, dehydration state, increased urine output, and negativewater balance, a diagnosis ofCSWSwasmade. Diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes: Brain MRI displayed symmetrical lesions of T2WI and FLAIR high signal intensity in the peri-aqueductal and hypothalamic areas, which suggests Wernicke encephalopathy. For the early diagnosis of WE, neuroimaging studies can be an important marker. Thiamine hydrochloride was administered at a dose of 100mg/day for 3 weeks. Cerebral salt-wasting syndrome was subsequently diagnosed due to persistent hyponatremia, dehydrated state, and high urine sodium with massive urination. Main lessons learned from this case: Wernicke encephalopathy is a very rare cause of cerebral salt-wasting syndrome in pediatrics patients. The patient had a good outcome after hypertonic solution and fludrocortisone therapy.