Marchiafava-Bignami Disease: Report of a Subacute Case

Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD) is rare and often associated with chronic alcohol consumption; however, cases have been described in non-alcoholic patients with nutritional deficits. This disease manifests itself through an array of neurological signs and symptoms, from mild dysarthria or mild confusion to coma and death, and can present acutely, subacutely, or chronically, depending on their severity. The evolution of imaging technology makes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) the gold standard for the diagnosis of this disease, although computed tomography (CT) scan is usually in the first line owing to its greater availability. The main feature for the diagnosis of MBD by brain MRI is the identification of areas of demyelination and necrosis of the corpus callosum. We report a 55-year-old male with subacute neurological deterioration whose MRI demonstrated atrophy and demyelination of the corpus callosum.