Early Diagnosis of V180I Genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease at the Preserved Cognitive Function Stage

We herein report a case of genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) due to V180I mutation in the prion protein (PrP) gene diagnosed at a preserved cognitive function stage. Although neuropsychological tests revealed normal cognitive functions, increased signal intensity in the cerebral cortices with swelling on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prompted genetic testing for the PrP gene. This case suggests that cortical hyperintensity on DWI with swelling may be a useful finding of brain MRI for the diagnosis of V180I genetic CJD even at an extremely early stage, such as at the preserved cognitive function stage.