Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2005 Mar;132(3):500-4.
doi: 10.1016/j.otohns.2004.09.092.

Otolaryngologic presentations of amyotrophic lateralsclerosis

Anton Chen  1 , C Gaelyn Garrett
Affiliations
Case Reports

Otolaryngologic presentations of amyotrophic lateralsclerosis

Anton Chen et al. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2005 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives/hypothesis: To determine the incidence of voice disturbance as a presenting symptom of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and describe laryngologic features of ALS.

Study design: Retrospective review.

Methods: Records of patients with voice disturbance at a voice center and ALS patients at a neurology clinic were reviewed from January 1998 to March 2003.

Results: 15 of 1759 patients with voice disturbance were later diagnosed with ALS. Of 220 ALS patients presenting to neurology clinic, 44 had bulbar symptoms and 19 had initially presented to an otolaryngologist. Dysarthria, dysphagia, tongue fasciculation, and incomplete vocal fold closure were common findings. Neuromuscular disease was missed in 8 of 19 ALS patients seen by an otolaryngologist.

Conclusions: Although otolaryngologists rarely encounter undiagnosed ALS patients, a significant portion of bulbar ALS patients are initially evaluated by otolaryngologists.

Significance: Vigilance for neuromuscular abnormalities on otolaryngologic exam is important in patients who present with dysarthria, dysphonia, or dysphagia.

Ebm rating: C.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types