Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease 38 years after diagnostic use of human growth hormone

A 47 year old man is described who developed pathology proven Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) 38 years after receiving a low dose of human derived growth hormone (hGH) as part of a diagnostic procedure. The patient presented with a cerebellar syndrome, which is compatible with iatrogenic CJD. This is the longest incubation period described so far for iatrogenic CJD. Furthermore, this is the first report of CJD after diagnostic use of hGH. Since the patient was one of the first in the world to receive hGH, other cases of iatrogenic CJD can be expected in the coming years.

[1]  G. Jansen,et al.  The first two patients with dura mater associated Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the Netherlands , 2001, Journal of Neurology.

[2]  A. Hamad,et al.  Iatrogenic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease at the millennium , 2001, Neurology.

[3]  A. Hofman,et al.  A Nationwide Cohort Study on Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease among Human Growth Hormone Recipients , 2000, Neuroepidemiology.

[4]  Y. Agid,et al.  Incubation period of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease in human growth hormone recipients in France , 1999, Neurology.

[5]  Y. Agid,et al.  Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease from contaminated growth hormone extracts in France , 1996, Neurology.

[6]  J. Ironside,et al.  [A patient with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease following treatment with human growth hormone]. , 1996, Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde.

[7]  P. Blumbergs,et al.  Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in a recipient of human pituitary-derived gonadotrophin. , 1990, Australian and New Zealand journal of medicine.

[8]  R. Kalb,et al.  Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease probably acquired from a cadaveric dura mater graft. Case report. , 1988, Journal of neurosurgery.

[9]  B. Berg,et al.  Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in a young adult with idiopathic hypopituitarism. Possible relation to the administration of cadaveric human growth hormone. , 1985, The New England journal of medicine.

[10]  D. Gajdusek,et al.  DANGER OF ACCIDENTAL PERSON-TO-PERSON TRANSMISSION OF CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE BY SURGERY , 1977, The Lancet.

[11]  A. Devoe,et al.  Letter: Possible person-to-person transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. , 1974, The New England journal of medicine.