Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Case Report

Serial diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) in a patient with sporadic Creuztfeldt-Jakob disease

ItsuroTomita, M.D.1), Katsuya Sato, M.D.2), Susumu Shirabe, M.D.2), Kunihiko Nagasato, M.D.3), Akira Satoh, M.D.1) and Mitsuhiro Tsujihata, M.D.1)

1)Section of Neurology, Nagasaki Kita Hospital
2)Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Biochemical Sciences, Nagasaki University (Ist Dept. of Internal Medicine)
3)Section of Neurology, Isahaya General Health Insurance Hospital

Serial DWIs were performed in a patient with CJD who developed symptoms acutely and progressed rapidly. DWI discloed an increased signal in the frontal and parietal inner cortical areas, and in the caudate nuclei and putamina 20 days after the onset of symptoms. T2-weighted images showed only signal abnormality in the caudate nuclei and putamina, but not in the cerebral cortex. In the CSF obtained 15 days after the onset of symptoms, total tau protein was markedly elevated and 14-3-3 protein was positive. Measurement of these proteins are highly specific and sensitive for the diagnosis of CJD, but not available as a rapid routine examination at present. DWI is not specific, but useful for making the diagnosis of CJD in the early stage of the disease.

(CLINICA NEUROL, 44: 182|186, 2004)
key words: CJD, tau protein, 14-3-3 protein, Diffusion weighted imaging, MRI

(Received: 22-Jul-03)