Chapter 354: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, no cases survived, 100% mortality!

“Now she sleeps until noon or even into the afternoon.

There were several times when she had classes in the morning and I woke her up, but she turned around and fell asleep again, so I had to ask other professors to teach instead. Later, all her classes were moved to the afternoon. "

Professor Yan usually sleeps up to eight hours, and sometimes he can be busy until after twelve o'clock when dealing with work.

But what remains the same is that she always gets up after six o'clock.

However, now, she sleeps fourteen to five hours a day, sleeping most of the day, and is groggy when she is awake. She no longer has the "girly professor" demeanor that her classmates unanimously rated her as in the past.

"Um."

Xu Qiu nodded, he roughly understood the situation.

In addition to these, there is another key point.

Professor Yan waited for this number for almost a week. During this period, her family took her to the brain surgery department of Linhai International Friendship Hospital next door for medical treatment.

There are inspection reports.

The initial diagnosis from the International Friendship Hospital: encephalitis of unknown origin.

The treatment measures are quite simple and crude: give high-dose corticosteroid treatment.

When Xu Qiuneng saw Professor Yan in the clinic, he could already guess the effect of the treatment——

The old lady's condition worsened after hospitalization, and she also developed symptoms such as difficulty swallowing and trembling limbs.

Afterwards, after multidisciplinary consultation, the hospital next door gave their final diagnosis: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

…

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Seeing these three words from the case again, the pupils of the old man and the middle-aged son changed, and their lips turned white.

"I heard someone say... Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, with a 100% mortality rate, is an incurable disease..." The old man restrained his previous imprudence, and the hands holding the wheelchair turned white.

My wife is probably just old and confused. How could it be Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease?

The son was more rational. After a long silence, he said: "Dr. Xu, Linhai International Friendship Hospital said there is nothing they can do. Let us transfer him to you, or send him to Xiehe University for a try. We believe you more."

Xu Qiu nodded, a little confused.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease…

If it was really Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, even he couldn't save it.

In other words, mankind's current medical technology is like a joke in the face of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Let alone conquering it, the disease-causing mechanism has not even been understood!

"Is this, this, mad cow disease?" Shi Lian whispered, with an expression of disbelief.

Xu Qiu glanced at her.

How does a fifth-year intern know about this rare disease?

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rare infectious disease of the central nervous system.

It has a common name, mad cow disease.

After infection, the brain tissue of sick cattle will show spongy lesions, manifesting as symptoms such as unsteady gait, imbalance, itching, and restlessness.

Mad cow disease was first thought to be a new neurological disease in cattle. It was later confirmed that humans may also be infected with this fatal disease after eating contaminated beef and cattle spinal cord. It is Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. .

At present, there is very little research on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the world. It is only known that it is an infectious prion, that is, a mutant of the normal protein PrP on the surface of nerve cells.

Its impact on the brain tissue structure is fatal and incurable, and the prognosis is extremely poor. All known cases have died without exception.

Like the previous brain-eating amoeba, although the mortality rate is also extremely high, at least a treatment plan can be found internationally, and it has worked in the past.

But Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is completely different.

The academic community has no unified understanding of its etiology, pathogenesis, and prevalence, and there are no effective diagnostic methods and treatment measures.

"But Teacher Xu can't save him either..." Shi Lian murmured.

No one can save Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Xu Qiu wants to save Professor Yan. In theory, there is only one feasible way.

Through clinical diagnosis, exclude Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and characterize the diagnosis as other encephalitis that can cause similar symptoms!

"Let me see."

Xu Qiu opened the medical records in the hospital next door and looked at them more carefully.

The first is the most iconic cranial MRI.

Professor Yan's bilateral parietal and occipital cortices had gyral-like diffusion restriction under DWI and FLAIR sequences.

Commonly known as the lace sign.

There is a saying in neurology: blood ammonia, blood sugar, uremia, inflammation, mad cows hang themselves.

It refers to the diseases represented by the lace sign, such as hyperammonemia, hypoglycemia, uremia, encephalitis, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and ischemic-hypoxic encephalopathy.

The first few items can be easily ruled out. Professor Yan obviously cannot have high blood ammonia, etc.

In fact, she has always been in good health. She is over 80 years old. She does not suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes, which are common among the elderly. Her cardiopulmonary function is also among the best among her peers.

At the faculty and staff sports meeting at the beginning of the year, she even ran a time of one minute and thirty-eight seconds in the 400-meter dash, putting countless college students to shame.

In addition, the "unexplained encephalitis" initially diagnosed by the International Friendship Hospital was subsequently ruled out due to the lack of typical symptoms of encephalitis such as fever and headache.

The high-dose cortisol given by the first-diagnosis hospital to treat autoimmune encephalitis also failed to work...

The next diagnosis was undoubtedly Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Xu Qiu's face became more serious.

Although Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is extremely rare, the reports one after another are pushing all doctors' diagnoses towards this fatal disease.

Tumor markers were normal.

Autoimmune antibodies were negative.

Liver and kidney functions were within normal limits.

The first hospital even did acid-fast staining of cerebrospinal fluid, ink staining, giant cell DNA and other screening for common pathogens, but nothing was found.

It can be seen that the doctors there have been driven crazy, and almost all the tests that can be used and thought of have been arranged.

Finally, the hospital next door arranged for a 14-3-3 protein test.

This is a test item with high diagnostic value and high sensitivity for CJD. The academic definition of CJD requires 14-3-3 protein test evidence.

However, only professional laboratories can do this protein test. Neither the hospital next door nor the First Hospital of Linhai has the corresponding technology and equipment. It needs to be sent to Tiandu, and it is expected to take several weeks to get the results.

The International Friendship Hospital can't wait, and the patient's life can't wait, so they quickly transferred the patient to Xu Qiu.

If it is really CJD, Professor Yan may not be able to bear it before the results come out.

"She fell asleep again... Doctor Xu, please give us a definite answer. If it is really CJD, can it be cured?"

During the conversation, Professor Yan's head tilted and he fell on the wheelchair again and fell asleep.

The old man felt distressed and stood there awkwardly, pacing in panic.

Xu Qiu: "CJD is incurable."

The old man's face suddenly changed, his eyes were almost dull, and he said in panic: "Then go home, go home, I really don't want her to suffer, let's go home and take care of her!"

Xu Qiu paused: "But my diagnosis is not CJD."