A retrospective study of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Belgium.

Abstract

Using data from Belgian neuropathological archives, completed with the results of a comprehensive study of available medical records, we found 100 patients who fulfilled diagnostic criteria for probable or definite Creutzfeldt-Jakob d1551isease (CJD). Mean age at death was 63 years. The median disease duration was 9 months. Progressive mental deterioration was present in all cases, whereas signs of cerebellar dysfunction and myoclonus were found in approximately 80% of the patients. In 50% of the population, the EEG revealed characteristic abnormalities. Ninety-six patients suffered from the sporadic type of CJD, while 4 suffered from a hereditary form. In our series, we could find no evidence for the new variant, neither for an iatrogenic cause.