Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics

diagnosis and treatment of Wernicke encephalopathy(WE)after gastrointestinal cancer surgery. Methods:Clinical data of 6 patients with Wernicke encephalopathy after gastrointestinal cancer surgery in our hospital from January 2005 to December 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Results:The mean age of patients was 67.3 years old(ranging from 56 to 83 years old)with 5 males and 1 female. Total parenteral nutrition was performed on all 6 patients with postoperative complications. Wernicke encephalopathy occurred from the 8th d to the 27 d after surgery

(19.33±8.14)d in average. All the 6 patients showed mental status changes of different types

5 patients had ocular manifestations

and 1 patient had ataxia. Only 1patient showed the classic triad of the disease at clinical presentation. All the 6 patients had characteristic manifestations on cranial MRI and received thiamine(vitamin B1)at diagnosis. Four patients recovered completely and 2 were partially recoveried. Conclusion:Wernicke encephalopathy is an acute neurological disorder resulting from thiamine deficiency. Timely and sufficient thiamine supplementation during the perioperative period is the key to prevent and treat Wernicke encephalopathy in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.