Authors: P Volanti M Mannino T Piccoli V La Bella
Publish Date: 2007/06/30
Volume: 28, Issue: 3, Pages: 151-
Abstract
We present a 72yearold woman with progressive dysphagia dysarthria and tongue palsy who was initially diagnosed with bulbaronset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS However the absence of atrophy or fasciculations in the tongue as in other voluntary muscles and the lack of reproducible neurophysiological evidence of denervation prompted a revision of the diagnostic workup which eventually led to the discovery of a carcinoma of the tongue This case report describes a relatively rare type of oropharyngeal carcinoma that in its early stage resembled a bulbaronset ALS This differential diagnosis is unusual and it was fostered by the persistent lack of atrophy of the tongue and the absence of spreading of signs and symptoms of motor neuron degeneration
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