title: Inappropriate surgeries resulting from misdiagnosis of early amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: Initial symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may mimic radiculopathy, myelopathy, mononeuropathy, or arthropathy. A retrospective review of 260 consecutive patients with ALS evaluated between 1996 and 2004 revealed that 55 (21%) had had surgery within the 5 years prior to ALS diagnosis. Thirty-four of these 55 (61%) had surgery for symptoms and signs that retrospectively were attributable to early manifestations of ALS. Misdiagnosis of early ALS may lead to unnecessary surgeries with their attendant potential complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Lahey Clinic, 41 Mall Road, Burlington, Massachusetts 01805, USA. jayashri_srinivasan@lahey.org
authors.forename: Jayashri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Scala
authors.forename: H Royden
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Firas
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D001177:Arthropathy, Neurogenic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020422:Mononeuropathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011843:Radiculopathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures