Struthers et al used a simple questionnaire to screen patients prior to surgery for possible Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) or a related disorder. This can allow for a more complete evaluation prior to any invasive procedure. The authors are from the University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Hospitals NHS Trust in England.
Conditions related to CJD include:
(1) variant CJD
(2) Gertsman-Straussler Syndrome
(3) Fatal Familial Insomnia
Organs considered to be high risk for infectivity with prions include:
(1) dura mater, brain and spinal cord
(2) pituitary
(3) cornea and other eye structures
Screening questions:
(1) receipt of growth hormone derived from human pituitary glands
(2) receipt of any hormone derived from human pituitary glands
(3) receipt of human dura mater graft during a neurosurgical or ENT operation
(4) any family history of CJD or related condition
(5) CJD or related condition in the patient’s differential diagnosis
(6) receipt of a cornea graft or other eye tissue from someone with suspected CJD
where:
• The question about corneal graft and eye tissue added because it is a high risk tissue.
If a response to any of these screening questions is affirmative, then surgery should be delayed pending a more complete assessment by someone knowledgable about CJD and its related conditions.
