Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with extension of the central canal of the spinal cord according to magnetic resonance imaging data

Abstract

The paper describes an atypical case of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) concurrent with extension of the central canal – hydromyelia.Diagnostic difficulty is due to the presence of symptoms which are atypical for ALS, such as early age of onset, slow progression with long-term involvement of one leg, as well as extension of the central canal of the spinal cord at the level of TIII-IX bodies, as evidenced by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The paper presents a clinical case, a review of current literature on the clinical and MRI signs of ALS and on the differential diagnosis of motor neuron disease.

Keywords

• motor neuron disease
• myotrophic lateral sclerosis
• extension of the central canal of the spinal cord
• hydromyelia