Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease after Dental Procedure Along with the Initial Manifestations of Psychiatric Disorder: A Case Report

Introduction: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) as a prion disease is an untreatable type of progressive neurodegenerative encephalopathy. Although no definitive case has been reported yet, here we report a case that given the history, course of symptoms, and recent dental practice, it is highly probable that it was caused by dental procedures. Case Report: The patient was a 52-year-old woman who has had memory problems gradually with forgetting the names of family members since 6 weeks prior to the visit and shortly after the dental procedure. She experienced progressive visual hallucinations accompanied by a sharp decline in cognitive, verbal, and motor abilities in just a few weeks. Finally, the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob was made for her based on the clinical history and typical brain MRI. Discussion: Clinical evidence of this patient, along with positive brain MRI results, indicates the risk of prion transfer through dental procedures. Paying attention to the neurological aspects of psychiatric manifestations and increasing the awareness of dentists about how to deal with and act on the potential dangers of prion transfer is of paramount importance.

COVID-19 Cases: Definitive, or Not?

Context: A cluster and increase in pneumonia cases with unknown cause were detected in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, in December 2019. These cases were reported to be associated with a new coronavirus type by the Chinese health authorities on January 7, 2020. The first case in Turkey was diagnosed on March 11, 2020. COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 infection) guide was prepared for the pandemic by the Ministry of Health scientific committee. However, despite strong clinical, laboratory and radiological suspicions, there are also patients who do not meet the exact case definition. Case Report: In this case report, we aimed to discuss two cases that did not meet the definitive case definition and followed up in our clinic. Conclusions: Although gold standard method for the definitive diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is PCR, rapid antibody tests and CT findings are used in combination with PCR for a more effective struggle in the pandemic process would enhance rapid diagnosis of cases, necessary treatment and isolation measures to prevent transmission. It is thought that it would be useful to make case definitions.

Egg Donation

The tax characterization of income from human body transfers is a perplexing conundrum. There is no definitive case law or statute that informs taxpayers how to treat these transfers. Legal scholars have discussed the issue of how to treat human body transfers such as eggs, sperm, blood, etc. for decades, and the Internal Revenue Service has still not acted to provide any sort of clarity. This Comment discusses the historical tax implications on various types of human body transfers, outlines some of the distinguishing factors between characterizing a transfer as property or a service, provides an argument for why income from egg donation should be characterized as a service, and finally, discusses how a definitive characterization will affect the regulation of egg donation and lead to an increase in the research of overall health effects from egg donation.

COVID-19 cases: definitive, or not?

Context: A cluster and increase in pneumonia cases with unknown cause were detected in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, in December 2019. These cases were reported to be associated with a new coronavirus type by the Chinese health authorities on January 7, 2020. The first case in Turkey was diagnosed on March 11, 2020. COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 infection) guide was prepared for the pandemic by the Ministry of Health scientific committee. However, despite strong clinical, laboratory and radiological suspicions, there are also patients who do not meet the exact case definition. Case report: In this case report, we aimed to discuss two cases that did not meet the definitive case definition and followed up in our clinic. Conclusions: Although gold standard method for the definitive diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is PCR, rapid antibody tests and CT findings are used in combination with PCR for a more effective struggle in the pandemic process would enhance rapid diagnosis of cases, necessary treatment and isolation measures to prevent transmission. It is thought that it would be useful to make case definitions.

‘Generous men will spare the memory of the dead’

This chapter considers the reaction to Thomas Burnet’s Archæologiæ philosophicæ (1692) and its implications for the posthumous reputation of that author, in the process discussing the impact of radical criticism of the Church on clerical careers and the importance of scandal in the formation of a market for pirated publications in the book trade. It concentrates on the fate of Burnet’s works at the hands of pirates, particularly Edmund Curll, in the wake of an apparently definitive case in Chancery (1721) regarding posthumous copyright in unpublished materials. Questions of orthodoxy, reputation, censorship, and the meaning of copyright are therefore raised, alongside the difficulties of establishing the bibliography of Burnet’s publications.

The Mead–Freeman Controversy Continues: A Reply to Ian Jarvie

In the Mead–Freeman controversy, Ian Jarvie has supported much of Derek Freeman’s critique of Margaret Mead’s Coming of Age in Samoa, arguing that Samoan society was sexually repressive rather than sexually permissive, that Mead was “hoaxed” about Samoan sexual conduct, that Mead was an “absolute” cultural determinist, that Samoa was a definitive case refuting Mead’s “absolute” cultural determinism, that Mead’s book changed the direction of cultural anthropology, and that Freeman’s personal conduct during the controversy was thoroughly professional. This article calls into question these empirical and theoretical arguments, often using Freeman’s own field research and publications.

Catatonia Secondary to Sudden Clozapine Withdrawal: A Case with Three Repeated Episodes and a Literature Review

A literature search identified 9 previously published cases that were considered as possible cases of catatonia secondary to sudden clozapine withdrawal. Two of these 9 cases did not provide enough information to make a diagnosis of catatonia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th Edition (DSM-5). The Liverpool Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) Causality Scale was modified to assess ADRs secondary to drug withdrawal. From the 7 published cases which met DSM-5 catatonia criteria, using the modified scale, we established that 3 were definitive and 4 were probable cases of catatonia secondary to clozapine withdrawal. A new definitive case is described with three catatonic episodes which (1) occurred after sudden discontinuation of clozapine in the context of decades of follow-up, (2) had ≥3 of 12 DSM-5 catatonic symptoms and serum creatinine kinase elevation, and (3) required medical hospitalization and intravenous fluids. Clozapine may be a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor agonist; sudden clozapine withdrawal may explain a sudden decrease in GABA activity that may contribute to the development of catatonic symptoms in vulnerable patients. Based on the limited information from these cases, the pharmacological treatment for catatonia secondary to sudden clozapine withdrawal can include benzodiazepines and/or restarting clozapine.