Magnetic ressonance imaging in the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: report of two cases

RESSONÂNCIA MAGNÉTICA NO DIAGNÓSTICO DA DOENÇA DE CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB: RELATO DE DOIS CASOS

ABSTRACT

Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD) is a rare condition caused by a pathogenic prion protein that evolves with rapidly progressive dementia and death. The clinical presentation may sometimes be misleading. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) aids diagnosis with patterns that can guide or confirm clinical hypotheses. Two cases of rapidly progressive dementia with ataxia, myoclonus and restricted diffusion on MRI in cortical/basal ganglia are presented to draw attention to CJD.

Key words:
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; prionic disease; prion; prionic disease; rapidly progressive dementia; MRI; diffusion; DWI; basal ganglia; cortex