Rode MM, Itoh C, Martinez-Sosa S, Ebner BA, Chang BK, Flanagan EP, Pinto MV. Systematic approach to diagnosing suspected Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
BMJ Case Rep 2023;
16:e255174. [PMID:
38061853 PMCID:
PMC10711900 DOI:
10.1136/bcr-2023-255174]
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Abstract
Evaluation of rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) is usually challenging. In most cases, patients progress to dementia in weeks to months, and the differential diagnosis is broad. In this case, a woman in her 60s presented with a 1-month history of episodic vertigo, cognitive decline, ataxia and myoclonus. Cerebrospinal fluid total tau was markedly elevated, which was helpful in establishing the diagnosis and discussing prognosis/end-of-life measures with the patient's family. This case summarises a stepwise diagnostic approach for patients with RPD and highlights recent literature on biomarkers of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and autoimmune encephalitis.
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