Clinical mimickers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-conditions we cannot afford to miss

Nishita Singh, Sucharita Ray, Achal SrivastavaAnnals of Indian Academy of Neurology 2018 21(3):173-178 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.
Source: Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research