Rapidly Progressive Encephalopathy: Initial Diagnosis of Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease in an Intensive Care Unit.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare, incurable and fatal condition that can only be confirmed through neuropathological investigation, such as brain biopsy or post-mortem study. However, a probable diagnosis can be made using clinical criteria. CJD manifests as rapidly progressive dementia with myoclonus and to a lesser extent visual impairment and cerebellar and pyramidal/extrapyramidal signs. We report the case of a previously independent adult male that met all the clinical criteria. Taken together, the investigation results suggested probable CJD. LEARNING POINTS: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare cause of dementia.The rapidly progressive neurological signs and symptoms suggest the diagnosis.Mortality rates are very high even with surgical treatment in these complex patients.

Cardiac involvement in antiphospholipid syndrome associated with Sneddon syndrome: a challenging diagnosis.

Sneddon syndrome is a rare clinical entity characterized by the association of ischemic cerebrovascular disease and livedo reticularis. The authors report a case of stroke and myocardial infarction in a 39-year-old man with Sneddon syndrome and antiphospholipid syndrome who subsequently met some criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus, highlighting the complexity of cardiovascular involvement in systemic diseases.