ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study of a 75-year-old patient who underwent ophthalmic surgery involving the retina to correct visual impairment. It provides a discussion on clinical management, prevention, epidemiology, biology, and pathology of this case. The normal prion protein (PrPc) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchored membrane glycoprotein found in lipid rafts in cell membranes and consists of 208 amino acids. It is highly expressed in nervous tissue with lower expression in lymphoid tissue. Prion diseases are rapidly progressive fatal neurodegenerative conditions that are caused by an abnormal version of a normal membrane protein: PrPc. It is invariably fatal once clinical symptoms appear. The classical presentation is mental deterioration, which may affect concentration, sleep, mood, and cognitive functions, accompanied by myoclonus. Genetic testing of the prion protein gene demonstrates a polymorphism at codon 129 leading to either a methionine or valine in the protein.
