Central Pontine Myelinolysis Leading to an Intensive Care Unit Admission

Osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS) is a rare and serious clinical syndrome that has been associated with rapid correction of severe hyponatremia. ODS can evolve to central pontine myelinolysis (CPM), in which demyelination occurs in the pontine region, and less commonly extrapontine myelinolysis (EPM), involving other brain regions. We present the case of a 52-year-old alcoholic man admitted for community-acquired pneumonia who developed CPM following rapid correction of severe hyponatremia. This case highlights the importance of careful correction of sodium levels, particularly in high-risk patients.