Ramu aged 45 years, a chronic alcoholic presents with complaints of confusion, ataxia, ophthalmoplegia and peripheral neuropathy. Diagnosis is:

Wernicke encephalopathy is a medical emergency characterized by ophthalmoplegia, ataxia and mental status changes resulting from thiamine deficiency. Most cases are associated with alcoholism, malnutrition, or both. Failure to initiate prompt thiamine therapy in a patient with any of these features may result either in death or in permanent neuropathy or loss of cognitive function. Ref: Stone C. (2011). Chapter 37. Neurologic Emergencies. In R.L. Humphries, C. Stone (Eds), CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment Emergency Medicine, 7e.