Background: Prion diseases are a group of degenerative nerve diseases that are caused by infectious prion proteins or gene mutations. In humans, prion diseases result from mutations in the prion protein gene (PRNP). Only a limited number of cases involving a specific PRNP mutation at codon 196 (E196A) have been reported. The coexistence of Korsakoff syndrome in patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) caused by E196A mutation has not been documented in the existing literature.
Case summary: A 61-year-old Chinese man initially presented with Korsakoff syndrome, followed by rapid-onset dementia, visual hallucinations, akinetic mutism, myoclonus, and hyperthermia. The patient had no significant personal or familial medical history. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed extensive hyperintense signals in the cortex, while positron emission tomography/computed tomography showed a diffuse reduction in cerebral cortex metabolism. Routine biochemical and microorganism testing of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) yielded normal results. Tests for thyroid function, human immunodeficiency virus, syphilis, vitamin B1 and B12 levels, and autoimmune rheumatic disorders were normal. Blood and CSF tests for autoimmune encephalitis and autoantibody-associated paraneoplastic syndrome yielded negative results. A test for 14-3-3 protein in the CSF yielded negative results. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a disease-causing mutation in PRNP. The patient succumbed to the illness 11 months after the initial symptom onset.
Conclusion: Korsakoff syndrome, typically associated with alcohol intoxication, also manifests in CJD patients. Individuals with CJD along with PRNP E196A mutation may present with Korsakoff syndrome.
Keywords: 14-3-3 proteins; Case report; Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; Korsakoff syndrome; PRNP gene; Prion disease.
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