Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease associated with surgery

AORN Journal, Dec, 2002

A study of 326 patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) from France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom compared to a community control group of the same size indicates a possible connection between sporadic CJD--a disease of unknown etiology--and surgical history, according to an article in the August 2002 issue of Neurology. Medical and associated risk factors for sporadic CJD were taken from population-based studies conducted from 1993 to 1995. Control group data were gathered via a telephone survey conducted between March and June 2000.

A significant association was found between history of surgery and sporadic CJD; however, the risk did not increase with the number of surgical procedures. This association was stronger for women than for men. A small but significant increase in risk was associated with gynecologic procedures. A history of blood transfusion was not associated with risk for sporadic CJD. A history of tonsillectomy or appendectomy was associated with a reduced risk for sporadic CJD.

Among women, an increased risk of sporadic CJD was associated with ear piercing, and this association increased with the participant's age. A history of psychiatric visits also was significantly associated with risk for sporadic CJD.

The study results indicate that sporadic CJD may result from unrecognized surgical contamination. Researchers estimate that 35% of sporadic CJD cases could be attributed to surgery; however, they advise that due to the limits of the study design and the rarity of the disease, these results should be interpreted with caution.

H J T Ward et al, "Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and surgery: A case-control study using community controls," Neurology 59 (August 2002) 543-548.