Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease--a review

Abstract

The objective is to study a patient with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). The patient, a 70-year-old woman with a history spanning over 1 month, with acute onset, progressive abnormal behavior, and cognitive decline with generalized asymmetrical myoclonic jerking, startle phenomenon, and cortical blindness, was referred to the hospital. On observation of clinical symptoms, metabolic and hematological investigations, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), and EEG (electroencephalogram) were done. The clinical symptoms, MRI, and diagnostic EEG were suggestive of sporadic CJD. Other metabolic encephalopathies were ruled out. With sodium valproate and clonezepam, her myoclonic jerks improved slightly. As CJD is an incurable disease, no definitive treatment could be given.