INTRODUCTION: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) has a poor prognosis. Certain clinical presentations can be suggestive yet mimic a curable disease. OBSERVATION: In the present study, we report the case of a 67-year-old man with a one-month history of progressive dementia, with myoclonic jerks and cerebellar syndrome suggesting a diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob encephalopathy. He had been treated for 9 years with lithium for a bipolar disorder. The results of the different investigations and the favorable course after discontinuation of lithium were in favor of the diagnosis of drug-induced Creutzfeldt-Jakob syndrome. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates the importance for researching a curable etiology in presence of clinical features suggesting a CJD.
INTRODUCTION: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) has a poor prognosis. Certain clinical presentations can be suggestive yet mimic a curable disease. OBSERVATION: In the present study, we report the case of a 67-year-old man with a one-month history of progressive dementia, with myoclonic jerks and cerebellar syndrome suggesting a diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob encephalopathy. He had been treated for 9 years with lithium for a bipolar disorder. The results of the different investigations and the favorable course after discontinuation of lithium were in favor of the diagnosis of drug-induced Creutzfeldt-Jakob syndrome. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates the importance for researching a curable etiology in presence of clinical features suggesting a CJD.