Two Sequential Tc-99m ECD SPECT Studies in a Case of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Confirmed at Autopsy

Background: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a subacute spongiform encephalopathy characterized by rapidly progressive dementia, hard to diagnose during life. Materials and Methods: We present a case of a patient with pathologically confirmed sporadic form of CJD in whom initial diagnostic tests were negative. Two sequential brain single-photon emission computed tomography with Tc-99m ethyl-cysteinate dimer were performed, the first one was performed few days after the admission into hospital and the second, 1 month later. Results: Both studies revealed a decrease in regional cerebral blood flow indicative of neuronal dysfunction, more pronounced in the second study. Conclusion: Current radionuclide scintigraphy can be an useful tool for the investigation of CJD.