Clinical History and Colliquative Myocytolysis Are Keys to the Diagnosis of Shoshin Beriberi

  • Toshiki Kuno
    Department of Cardiology, Ashikaga Red Cross Hospital, 284-1 Yobe-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi 326-0843, Japan
  • Hiroshi Nakamura
    Department of Community Health and Medicine, School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan
  • Yutaka Endo
    Department of Cardiology, Ashikaga Red Cross Hospital, 284-1 Yobe-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi 326-0843, Japan
  • Kohei Saito
    Department of Cardiology, Ashikaga Red Cross Hospital, 284-1 Yobe-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi 326-0843, Japan
  • Hiroyuki Yamazaki
    Department of Cardiology, Ashikaga Red Cross Hospital, 284-1 Yobe-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi 326-0843, Japan
  • Hiroyuki Motoda
    Department of Cardiology, Ashikaga Red Cross Hospital, 284-1 Yobe-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi 326-0843, Japan
  • Yohei Numasawa
    Department of Cardiology, Ashikaga Red Cross Hospital, 284-1 Yobe-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi 326-0843, Japan
  • Kazuhiko Shimizu
    Department of Clinical Laboratory and Pathology, Ashikaga Red Cross Hospital, Tochigi, Japan
  • Toshiyuki Takahashi
    Department of Cardiology, Ashikaga Red Cross Hospital, 284-1 Yobe-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi 326-0843, Japan

Description

<jats:p>Cardiovascular beriberi presents as either the fulminant (Shoshin beriberi) or chronic form. Shoshin beriberi is a rare disease that may lead to a fatal outcome if the patient does not receive appropriate treatment. In the present report, we describe the case of a 66-year-old man presenting with leg edema and dyspnea at rest. Clinical presentations were nonalcoholic Shoshin beriberi and lactate accumulation; however, clinical improvement was observed after the administration of thiamine. His pretherapy thiamine level (2.1 <jats:italic>μ</jats:italic>g/dL) was consistent with a diagnosis of beriberi. Based on the findings of the present case, we believe that a diagnosis can be made in patients with a clinical history that is consistent with that of Shoshin beriberi, combined with low thiamine levels, lactate accumulation, and colliquative myocytolysis.<jats:italic>Learning Objective.</jats:italic>Shoshin beriberi is often misdiagnosed because of its rarity; a detailed clinical history and characteristic myocardial histopathology changes may be useful for making a definite diagnosis.</jats:p>

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