BACKGROUND: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare transmissible disease that typically causes a rapidly progressive dementia and leads to death in less than 1 year. Although a few anecdotal reports suggest that diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging may help substantiate premortem diagnosis of CJD, detailed correlation between radiographic data and clinical, electrophysiologic, and metabolic parameters is not available. METHODS: Signal abnormalities on diffusion-weighted images in 3 consecutive patients with probable CJD were correlated with psychometric features, electroencephalographic findings, and functional images with either positron emission tomography or single photon emission computed tomography. RESULTS: Focality of abnormalities on diffusion-weighted image, not apparent on routine magnetic resonance images, correlated closely with clinical manifestations of CJD. The topographic distribution of signal abnormality on diffusion-weighted image corresponded with abnormal metabolism or perfusion on positron emission and single photon emission computed tomographic scans. In 2 cases, the laterality of diffusion abnormalities correlated with periodic sharp wave activity on electroencephalograms. CONCLUSION: These findings extend previous observations that suggested a diagnostic and localizing utility of diffusion-weighted imaging in CJD.
BACKGROUND: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare transmissible disease that typically causes a rapidly progressive dementia and leads to death in less than 1 year. Although a few anecdotal reports suggest that diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging may help substantiate premortem diagnosis of CJD, detailed correlation between radiographic data and clinical, electrophysiologic, and metabolic parameters is not available. METHODS:Signal abnormalities on diffusion-weighted images in 3 consecutive patients with probable CJD were correlated with psychometric features, electroencephalographic findings, and functional images with either positron emission tomography or single photon emission computed tomography. RESULTS: Focality of abnormalities on diffusion-weighted image, not apparent on routine magnetic resonance images, correlated closely with clinical manifestations of CJD. The topographic distribution of signal abnormality on diffusion-weighted image corresponded with abnormal metabolism or perfusion on positron emission and single photon emission computed tomographic scans. In 2 cases, the laterality of diffusion abnormalities correlated with periodic sharp wave activity on electroencephalograms. CONCLUSION: These findings extend previous observations that suggested a diagnostic and localizing utility of diffusion-weighted imaging in CJD.
Authors: Yang Mao-Draayer; Steven P Braff; Keith J Nagle; William Pendlebury; Paul L Penar; Robert E Shapiro Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2002-04 Impact factor: 3.825
Authors: H J Tschampa; K Kallenberg; H A Kretzschmar; B Meissner; M Knauth; H Urbach; I Zerr Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2007 Jun-Jul Impact factor: 3.825
Authors: K Kono; Y Inoue; K Nakayama; M Shakudo; M Morino; K Ohata; K Wakasa; R Yamada Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2001 Jun-Jul Impact factor: 3.825