The neuropathological changes observed in WKS, as described by Victor and Adams in the early 1970s, include lesions in periventricular regions around the third and fourth ventricles, and atrophy of the mamillary bodies.40 By contrast, traditional clinical pathological methods have only been able to demonstrate mild cerebral atrophy and lower mean brain weight in cases of uncomplicated alcoholism.41–43 Thus, quantitative studies are required to characterize the relatively subtle structural abnormalities in the brain that are caused by the direct effects of alcohol (Box 3).
