Pronounced: Kroytz-felt Jay-kob
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a deadly brain illness that leads to dementia that gets worse with time. CJD is rare.
It is not the same as Variant CJD (vCJD), which is caused by eating contaminated beef.
It is thought that CJD is caused by proteins in the body called prions. The ones that may cause CJD fold up in a way that is not normal.
Things that may raise the risk depend on the type of CJD. There are 3 subtypes:
Symptoms may be:
The doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done.
Blood tests will be done to rule out other causes of dementia.
These tests may be done to make the diagnosis:
The only way to confirm the disease is through an autopsy after death.
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There is no cure for CJD. It is treated by managing symptoms with:
There are infection control guidelines to prevent iatrogenic CJD. There are no guidelines to prevent other types of CJD.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation, Inc.
http://www.cjdfoundation.org
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
https://www.ninds.nih.gov
Health Canada
https://www.canada.ca
Public Health Agency of Canada
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:https://www.dynamed.com/condition/creutzfeldt-jakob-disease. Updated May 01, 2015. Accessed October 14, 2019.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, classic (CJD). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/prions/cjd/index.html. Updated October 9, 2018. Accessed October 14, 2019.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/cjd/detail_cjd.htm. Updated August 13, 2019. Accessed October 14, 2019.
Sikorska B, Knight R, et al. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2012;724:76-90.
Last reviewed September 2019 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Rimas Lukas, MD Last Updated: 8/18/2020
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