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Rapidly Progressive Dementia After Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy: A Case of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in the Context of Chronic Ehrlichiosis
Mili Dave, Peter Le. Cureus, 2025-08-27
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Prion diseases are fatal neurological disorders characterized by the accumulation of abnormal proteins in the central nervous system, leading to rapid neurodegeneration. We present a male his 70s who developed rapidly progressive dementia three weeks after a routine platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection for chronic hip pain. MRI revealed multifocal cortical diffusion restriction involving the basal ganglia. CSF analysis via real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) confirmed prion disease, with elevated T-tau and 14-3-3 gamma proteins. He also tested seropositive for Ehrlichia, though other infectious causes were ruled out. Despite treatment with IV immunoglobulins (IGs) and antibiotics, his condition declined with worsening myoclonus and hyperreflexia. He died one week after discharge to hospice, six weeks after symptom onset. This case demonstrates several classic clinical features of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (sCJD) and raises the possibility that an acute inflammatory response from PRP injection may have triggered sCJD in the setting of a pre-existing chronic inflammatory state from tick-borne infection.
Key findings
- MRI revealed multifocal cortical diffusion restriction involving the basal ganglia.
Why it matters
This case report describes a man in his 70s who developed rapidly progressive dementia after a platelet-rich plasma injection and was confirmed to have sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. It is a single case of a different prion disease and provides no treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 33/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 32 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 33 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Cureus) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Cureus: journal h-index 131 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 1 / 7 | Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: institution h-index 1,674 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41018303) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 32 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 32 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 33 out of 100. |
| Total | 33 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Dave, M., & Le, P. (2025). Rapidly Progressive Dementia After Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy: A Case of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in the Context of Chronic Ehrlichiosis. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.91152
Vancouver
Dave M, Le P. Rapidly Progressive Dementia After Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy: A Case of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in the Context of Chronic Ehrlichiosis. Cureus. 2025. doi:10.7759/cureus.91152. PMID: 41018303.
BibTeX
@article{dave2025-41018303,
author = {Dave, Mili and Le, Peter},
title = {{Rapidly Progressive Dementia After Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy: A Case of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in the Context of Chronic Ehrlichiosis}},
journal = {Cureus},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.7759/cureus.91152},
pmid = {41018303},
url = {https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.91152}
}
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