
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in a man with COVID-19 – SARS-CoV-2-accelerated neurodegeneration?
A previously healthy man in his 60s developed fever several days after co-habitant family members were diagnosed with COVID-19. He became confused, slowed and forgetful, and tested PCR positive for SARS-CoV-2. Over two weeks his disorientation worsened, he developed paucity of speech with paraphasic errors, and unsteady gait with intermittent right-hand clenching.
He was treated with IVIG and methylprednisolone until CSF RT-QuIC, 14-3-3 and T-tau resulted 2 weeks later confirming the suspicion for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Neurologic status progressed to mutism, right hemiplegia, spontaneous multifocal myoclonus, somnolence and agitation. He died 2 months after symptom onset.
** This post was originally published on April 2, 2021 **