Sporadic Creutzfeldt-jakob disease: a case report

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rare, transmissible, and fatal degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. As the most common human prion disease, it typically presents with progressive dementia, visual impairment, cerebellar ataxia, pyramidal or extrapyramidal signs, myoclonus, and akinetic mutism. Although dizziness is a prevalent clinical symptom, it is an uncommon initial manifestation of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

We report the case of a 71-year-old Chinese woman who presented to our hospital with dizziness. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed extensive cortical hyperintensity on diffusion-weighted imaging. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis was positive for the 14-3-3 protein. Collectively, these findings, along with additional supportive investigations, led to the diagnosis of possible sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

This case illustrates that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease can manifest with atypical symptoms like dizziness, highlighting the essential role of brain magnetic resonance imaging in securing the diagnosis. In light of the disease's rarity and clinical heterogeneity, detailed reporting of such cases provides valuable clinical insights that deepen physicians' understanding of this condition.