Post-COVID Neurodegeneration: A Puerto Rican Case of Rapidly Fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

TL;DR

A Puerto Rican man developed rapidly fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) after recovering from COVID-19, highlighting a possible link between the two conditions.

Contribution

This case report adds to the limited literature on post-COVID neurodegeneration, specifically linking it to CJD in a previously healthy individual.

Findings

MRI showed widespread cortical T2/FLAIR signal abnormalities consistent with CJD.

CSF analysis confirmed CJD with elevated 14-3-3 gamma and positive RT-QuIC results.

The case suggests the need for monitoring cognitive changes post-COVID for rapid neurodegenerative diseases.

Abstract

COVID-19 is a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and infection typically leads to the development of respiratory symptoms and illness. Neurodegenerative disorders following infection with SARS-CoV-2 have been reported. We report the case of a previously healthy 58-year-old native Puerto Rican man with a history of COVID-19 vaccination who developed Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) 14 days after a COVID-19 illness. The clinical features and disease course aligned with those described in post-COVID-19 CJD cases documented in the literature. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed prominent T2/fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) signal abnormalities within the entire cortex of both cerebral hemispheres. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed elevated 14-3-3 gamma concentrations, along with a positive real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), confirming the diagnosisofCJD. While further investigation is required to elucidate the relationship between these two pathologies, our study underscores the importance of close monitoring post COVID-19, as cognitive sequelae can be indicators of rapid neurodegenerative entities such as sporadic CJD (sCJD).

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