Editors' note: Teaching NeuroImages: DWI and EEG findings in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Abstract

In “Teaching NeuroImages: DWI and EEG findings in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease,” Ganesh et al. described a patient with rapidly progressive dementia who was found to have lateralized periodic discharges and cortical ribboning that was more right than left, which they concluded was consistent with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Drs. Yuan and Hu commented that while these findings are sufficient to diagnose sporadic CJD, neuropathology or 14-3-3 CSF results would help clarify whether this was familial CJD, iatrogenic CJD, or a new variant of CJD. Drs. Ganesh and Yeung replied that they did not pursue further testing because their patient met the diagnostic criteria for probable CJD, and that establishing a diagnosis of definite CJD would require neuropathology or immunohistochemistry results consistent with CJD or positive real-time quaking-induced conversion assay. In “Teaching NeuroImages: DWI and EEG findings in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease,” Ganesh et al. described a patient with rapidly progressive dementia who was found to have lateralized periodic discharges and cortical ribboning that was more right than left, which they concluded was consistent with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Drs. Yuan and Hu commented that while these findings are sufficient to diagnose sporadic CJD, neuropathology or 14-3-3 CSF results would help clarify whether this was familial CJD, iatrogenic CJD, or a new variant of CJD.