[Incidence of potential transmitters of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. A study of a collective of potential cornea donors]

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is 1.5 cases per million persons. In addition to familial and sporadic forms, fewer than 5% of cases are due to iatrogenic transmission. Corneal transplantation has clearly been implicated as the origin of CJD in four cases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined possible risks factors for corneal transplantation in material from 2545 deceased patients at the University Hospital of Halle. RESULTS: Two patients had died of CJD or slow virus disease. Also in the 109 identified as being at higher risk of CJD no organs or tissues were harvested. CONCLUSION: We strongly recommend that patients at higher risk group of CJD, patients dying of CNS diseases of unknown origin and cause, and patients dying in psychiatric clinics be excluded from donating organ and tissue.