Marchiafava-Bignami disease
Findings
No curated finding names Marchiafava-Bignami disease yet. Everything below is reference data from Mondo, HPO and GenCC, not evidence about what affects it.
Definition
Marchiafava Bignami disease is defined by characteristic demyelination of the corpus callosum (erosion of the protective covering of nerve fibers joining the 2 hemispheres of the brain). The disease seems to most often affect severe and chronic alcoholics in their middle or late adult life. Early symptoms may include depression, paranoia, psychosis, or dementia. Seizures are common, and hemiparesis, aphasia, abnormal movements, and ataxia may sometimesprogress to coma and/or death. The cause of Marchiafava Bignami disease, including the potential role of nutritional deficiency, remains unknown. Improvement and recovery of some individuals has been reported. Treatment focuses on nutritional support and rehabilitation from alcoholism.
Definition from the Mondo Disease Ontology (MONDO:0016370), read 2026-09-29. CC BY 4.0.
Features
50 features
What the disease is reported to present with, and how often among people who have it — never how often a feature means the disease. HPO, annotations 2026-09-02.
- Abnormal corpus callosum morphologyHPOHP:0001273
- Very frequent (80% to 99% of cases)
- Addictive alcohol useHPOHP:0030955
- Very frequent (80% to 99% of cases)
- Decreased circulating vitamin B1 concentrationHPOHP:0100503
- Very frequent (80% to 99% of cases)
- MalnutritionHPOHP:0004395
- Very frequent (80% to 99% of cases)
- Abnormal emotional stateHPOHP:0100851
- Frequent (30% to 79% of cases)
- CNS demyelinationHPOHP:0007305
- Frequent (30% to 79% of cases)
Show the remaining 38
- Limb hypertoniaHPOHP:0002509
- Frequent (30% to 79% of cases)
- Loss of consciousnessHPOHP:0007185
- Frequent (30% to 79% of cases)
- Memory impairmentHPOHP:0002354
- Frequent (30% to 79% of cases)
- Abnormal basal ganglia morphologyHPOHP:0002134
- Occasional (5% to 29% of cases)
- Abnormal pyramidal signHPOHP:0007256
- Occasional (5% to 29% of cases)
- Abnormality of visionHPOHP:0000504
- Occasional (5% to 29% of cases)
Where it sits
- A kind of
Other names
1 name
Resolves to: Marchiafava-Bignami disease
- Also called
- Marchiafava Bignami disease