Resumen

TENORIO-PACHECO, Alejandro. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, diagnostic challenge: Presentation of a clinical case. Rev. sanid. mil. [online]. 2021, vol.75, n.3, e02.  Epub 15-Abr-2024. ISSN 0301-696X.  https://doi.org/10.56443/rsm.v75i3.230.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative neurological disease that affects the pyramidal pathway, along its first and second motor neurons. In the United States of America, ALS is better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, alluding to the Yankees baseball player who died in 1941 from this condition.

Etymologically, Sclerosis means hardening and refers to the state of the spinal cord in the advanced stages of the disease. Lateral means "to the side" and reveals the location of the spinal cord damage. Finally, the term amyotrophic means "without muscle nutrition" and refers to the loss of signals that the nerves normally send to the muscles.

The etiology of this disorder is unknown, it is considered sporadic in 90-95% of cases and with a familial tendency in 5%. Survival at diagnosis is around 20% at 3-5 years.

Palabras llave : Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; COVID-19; SARS-COV-2; Lou Gehrig's disease; Charcot's disease; Stephen Hawking's disease.

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