Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and severe cervical spondylotic myelopathy in a patient with a posterior fossa arachnoid cyst: diagnostic dilemma.
Distinguishing between cervical spondylotic myelopathy and ALS can be difficult, as illustrated by this report of a patient who had both disorders, as well as a relatively rare arachnoid cyst of the posterior fossa. Attempts to differentiate between ALS and cervical spondylotic myelopathy must persist until diagnosis of one (or both) of the disorders is made, since both the prognosis and treatment of the two are different. Careful neurologic examination with attention to clinical details, muscle biopsy in some patients, and routine EMG will usually lead to the proper diagnosis.
Lee
K S
KS
Department of Surgery, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC 27103.
Kelly
D L
DL
D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001099:Arachnoid; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D003388:Cranial Fossa, Posterior; D003560:Cysts / Q000150:complications*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging