creutzfeldt-jacob disease

Main Entry: Creutz·feldt–Ja·kob disease
Variant: also Creutz·feld–Ja·kob disease /"kroits-"felt-"yä-(")kOb-/
Function: noun
: a rare progressive fatal encephalopathy now usually considered to be caused by a prion and marked by the development of porous brain tissue, premature dementia inmiddle age, and gradual loss of muscular coordination —abbreviation CJD called also Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease—see NEW VARIANT CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE
Creutzáfeldt /'kroits-"felt/, HansGerhard (1885–1964) and Jaákob /'yä-"kOp/,Alfons Maria (1884–1931), German psychiatrists. Creutzfeldt published his description of thedisease now known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in 1920. A year later in the same neurological journal Jakob offered his description. Although Creutzfeldt's description is the original one, Jakob's isthe better known of the two, so the disease is named in honor of both men.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Creutz·feldt-Jakob disease (kroits'fělt-)
n.
A rare, usually fatal viral disease of the brain, characterized by progressive dementia and gradual loss of muscle control, that occurs most often in middle age. Also called Jakob-Creutzfeldt disease.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease   (kroits'fělt-yä'kôp)  Pronunciation Key  A rare, usually fatal encephalopathy that occurs most often in middle age and is likely caused by a prion. It is characterized by progressive dementia and gradual loss of muscle control. The disease is named after its discoverers, German pathologist Hans Gerhard Creutzfeldt (1885-1964) and German neurologist Alfons Maria Jakob (1884-1931).