An Unusual Presentation of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and an Example of How Hickam's Dictum and Ockham's Razor Can Both Be Right.
Publication/Presentation Date
1-1-2017
Abstract
Patients can have more than one neurological problem, and sorting out acute from chronic disease can be challenging. The authors report a middle-aged patient who presented with ataxia, right hemiparesis, and abnormal nystagmus. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a Chiari and an arachnoid cyst with brainstem compression that appeared to explain his abnormal examination. Shortly after admission, he was noted to have intermittent abnormal behavior and confusion. History from family revealed significant acute and chronic psychiatric problems that appeared to explain his abnormal mental status; this delayed the diagnosis of intermittent complex partial seizures. The multitude of various symptoms resulted in a delay of the final diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), which in retrospect explained the entire new physical examination, seizures, and mental status changes.
Volume
57
Issue
3
First Page
234
Last Page
239
ISSN
2164-6821
Published In/Presented At
Neiman, E. S., Farheen, A., Gadallah, N., Steineke, T., Parsells, P., Kizelnik, Z. A., & Rosenberg, M. (2017). An Unusual Presentation of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and an Example of How Hickam's Dictum and Ockham's Razor Can Both Be Right. The Neurodiagnostic journal, 57(3), 234–239. https://doi.org/10.1080/21646821.2017.1348767
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
28898175
Department(s)
Department of Medicine
Document Type
Article