Neurologic Evaluations of Patients Exposed to the World Trade Center Disaster.
The aim of this study was to describe the clinical phenotype of a limited group of responders and survivors of the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster who were referred for the evaluation of neuropathic symptoms.



Sixteen patients with WTC exposure were referred to a neurologist for evaluation. All had a neurologic examination. Most had electromyogram and nerve conduction testing/nerve conduction studies as well as appropriate imaging and blood tests.



There was a higher probability of a neuropathy diagnosis in WTC-exposed patients than other patients referred for EMG testing. Two WTC-exposed patients had motor neuron disease and not neuropathy.



This study provides objective evidence of neuropathy in a relatively high fraction of WTC-exposed patients with neuropathic symptoms. It also emphasizes that the scope of neurologic problems following WTC exposure may include other diagnoses such as motor neuron disease.
Department of Neuroscience (Drs Stecker, Yu); Department of Medicine, Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola (Dr Barlev); Department of Population Health, Environmental Medicine and Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York (Drs Marmor, Wilkenfeld); and Department of Medicine/Division of Occupational Medicine, Winthrop University Hospital, Mineola, New York (Dr. Wilkenfeld).
Mark M
MM
Stecker
Huiying
H
Yu
Renee
R
Barlev
Michael
M
Marmor
Marc
M
Wilkenfeld
D000368:Aged; D004190:Disasters; D004576:Electromyography; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction; D047851:September 11 Terrorist Attacks; D017741:Survivors