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Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Translated Title

肌萎縮性側索硬化症之診斷及相關之復健議題：病例報告

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease of unknown etiology. Even though it is uncommon, there are cases seen. Thus it is important for clinicians to understand and catch the key points to its diagnosis. Patients with ALS would usually present with the combination of upper and lower motor neuron symptoms and signs. When the typical combination was found in several anatomic areas in an elderly man especially, the diagnosis is direct. We must also note that at early stage of ALS, the patient can present predominantly with either upper or lower motor neuron symptoms and signs confining only to one extremity, which makes an early diagnosis difficult.Our case came to our hospital with the chief complaint of numbness and weakness in his left hand. The initial diagnosis was brachial plexopathy but with revision to cervical myeloradiculopathy later. Cervical spine surgery was performed but weakness of right upper extremity and left lower extremity soon occurred progressively. From the finding of clinical presentation, physical examination and electrophysiologic study, a final diagnosis of ALS was made. We reviewed papers to discuss the key point to diagnosis of ALS and the usual misdiagnosis. The mean survival in ALS patients is about 3 years, but occasionally do we see patients survive past that. Patients with ALS not only have a limited life span, they often have poor quality of life. Thus it is important for a rehabilitation intervention to improve the quality of life.

Language

Traditional Chinese

First Page

165

Last Page

174

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