Neurológia pre prax 1/2024

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the northern part of central Slovakia: a retrospective analysis of a patient cohort in the years 2006 to 2023

Introduction: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a fatal, rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease, pathologically characterized by spongiform vacuolation of brain tissue. From the global perspective, the Slovak Republic is a country with exceptionally high rates of CJD. Material and methods: In the present study, we conducted a retrospective analysis of a cohort of CJD patients over a period of time of nearly 18 years (2006 to 2023). Demographic data, epidemiological history, clinical course of the disease, and results of auxiliary tests were analysed. Results: After meeting the inclusion criteria, we defined a cohort of 56 patients with a definitive or probable diagnosis of the disease. In 18 cases, there was the probable form of the disease (without histopathological confirmation, but with 100.0% positivity in E200K). Our cohort was almost completely predominated by the genetic form of CJD (96.4% of cases). The remainder was the sporadic form. The disease mostly occurred at the age of 50 to 70 years old, with females being affected more frequently than males. The clinical presentation was divided into four phenotypes: cerebellar, cognitive, behavioural, and atypical. Conclusion: The study has confirmed extremely high rates of CJD in the northern part of central Slovakia. In cases with a definitive diagnosis (confirmed histopathologically), the genetic form of CJD predominates clearly. Additional demographic, epidemiological, clinical, and paraclinical correlates of CJD are also presented.

Keywords: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, human prion diseases, rapidly progressive dementia syndrome, Slovak Republic