Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: ultrastructural study of brain biopsy: unusual interaction between astrocytes and oligo- and microglia.

We report a case of Creutzfeldt-Jakob (CJD) disease in a 72-year-old man without characteristic EEG alterations. Unusually abundant pleomorphic PrP-immunopositive amyloid plaques were found in the cerebellum. Despite of this similarity with Gerstmann-Străussler-Scheinker (GSS) disease the case cannot be classified as GSS lacking classical GSS 102 PRNP gene mutation. The ultrastructural findings were similar to those described previously for CJD. The close contact of reactive astrocytes with both oligodendroglia and microglia in this case suggests their possible functional interaction.