Summary
This report deals with the clinical and neuropathological findings in a case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (subacute spongioform encephalopathy). A 60-year-old woman died after a 4 month illness characterized by a progressive dementia with pyramidal and extrapyramidal signs, myoclonic jerks and focal seizures in the left arm.
The neuropathologic findings showed a diffuse loss of neurons, status spongiosus predominantly in the cerebral cortex and a focal, or rather diffuse astrocytosis. The process is marked through a meningo-encephalitis with perivascular cuffing. Nuclear inclusions (Typ A) were observed in some astrocytes. The possibility of a viral infection is discussed.
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Spalke, G., Rompel, K. Subakute spongiöse Encephalitis. Acta Neuropathol 22, 88–94 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687553
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00687553