title: Diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: This review of the differential diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis focuses on two themes. The first is practical, how to establish the diagnosis based primarily on clinical findings buttressed by electrodiagnosis. The main considerations are multifocal motor neuropathy and cervical spondylotic myelopathy. The second theme is the relationship of motor neuron disease to other conditions, including benign fasciculation (Denny-Brown, Foley syndrome), paraneoplastic syndromes, lymphoproliferative disease, radiation damage, monomelic amyotrophy (Hirayama syndrome), as well as an association with parkinsonism, dementia and multisystem disorders of the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Eleanor and Lou Gehrig MDA/ALS Center, Neurological Institute, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA. lprl@columbia.edu
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Rowland
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001284:Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004576:Electromyography; D005207:Fasciculation / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000175:diagnosis; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000150:complications; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D018979:Myositis, Inclusion Body / Q000175:diagnosis; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D013971:Thyrotoxicosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D001619:beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D001619:beta-N-Acetylhexosaminidases