Diffusion-weighted sequence on MRI for the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Abstract

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a progressive and fatal dementing illness caused by a virus like agent called prion. Currently, the definitive diagnosis can only be made through brain biopsy. Given its potential transmissibility, it is paramount to have noninvasive and reliable means to detect the disease. The present case reports on a 63 year-old man with biopsy proven CJD, and evaluates the dependability of diffusion-weighted MRI in this condition, stressing the importance of this particular sequence to its diagnosis.