Progressive cognitive decline. [Neuroradiology] [MR]
Progressive cognitive decline. [Neuroradiology] [MR]
66 year old with progressive cognitive and neurological decline, becoming catatonic within 2 months.
MRI DWI [1, 2, 3] shows cortical ribboning (cortex diffusion restriction [1]), and diffusion restriction in the deep gray nuclei and insula [2, 3] in a symmetric fashion.
MRI FLAIR [4] shows abnormal bright signal at the sites of diffusion restriction.
MRI postcontrast T1 [5] and SWI [6] are normal.
Based on the above findings, there was a strong suspicion this was something bad. A lumbar puncture was performed under appropriate infection control guidelines. Results showed positive CSF results for 14-3-3, T-tau protein, and RT-QuIC. The patient had already been discharged to a nursing facility when these results came back, so the nursing facility was notified as well as the public health department. The patient was placed on comfort care.
Final diagnosis: sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).
Not sure if this is similar to Alzheimer's, that one and Parkinson's are the two disease scare me the most.
Not sure if this is similar to Alzheimer's
This disease would be called mad cow disease if you caught it from a cow. I would say it's one of the scarier neurodegenerative diseases because it's infectious too. In the CDC link I put in, they recommend wiping down the entire place after a procedure with 1 NORMAL sodium hydroxide. That's crazy strong, caustic stuff. Usually, surfaces touched by a patient or his/her blood/etc after a procedure are just wiped with your standard disinfectants.
I agree with you though. The neurodegenerative diseases are very scary. Insidious onset, soul-destroying, and no cure.
Alzheimer’s is awful but piron diseases (including CJD) are a different level of fucking terrifying imo.