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
Review
. 2018 Jul-Sep;21(3):173-178.
doi: 10.4103/aian.AIAN_491_17.

Clinical Mimickers of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Conditions We Cannot Afford to Miss

Nishita Singh  1 , Sucharita Ray  2 , Achal Srivastava  1
Affiliations
Review

Clinical Mimickers of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Conditions We Cannot Afford to Miss

Nishita Singh et al. Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 2018 Jul-Sep.

Abstract

Giving a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to a patient is akin to handing out a death certificate. However, not all patients presenting with the classical dysphagia, wasting, and weakness may have motor neuron diseases. In these cases, it is extremely important not to miss little cues which can suggest an alternative diagnosis and in many cases a lease of life in terms of a treatment option. In this review, we consider some clinical scenarios that can present with the same symptom complex as diseases involving motor neurons but have a different anatomical or etiopathological basis and in many cases even a therapeutic option.

Keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; lower motor neuron; mimickers; upper motor neuron.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. Worms PM. The epidemiology of motor neuron diseases: A review of recent studies. J Neurol Sci. 2001;191:3–9. - PubMed
    1. O'Reilly DF, Brazis PW, Rubino FA. The misdiagnosis of unilateral presentations of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Muscle Nerve. 1982;5:724–6.
    1. Traynor BJ, Codd MB, Corr B, Forde C, Frost E, Hardiman O, et al. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mimic syndromes: A population-based study. Arch Neurol. 2000;57:109–13. - PubMed
    1. Bouche P, Le Forestier N, Maisonobe T, Fournier E, Willer JC. Electrophysiological diagnosis of motor neuron disease and pure motor neuropathy. J Neurol. 1999;246:520–5. - PubMed
    1. van der Pol WL, Cats EA, van den Berg LH. Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in multifocal motor neuropathy. J Clin Immunol. 2010;30(Suppl 1):S79–83. - PMC - PubMed