Work

Bulbar-Onset Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Unmasked by General Anesthesia: A Case Report

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects the motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, resulting in severe muscular weakness, atrophy, and loss of motor control. Patients with ALS are often highly sensitive to anesthetic drugs, specifically neuromuscular blocking agents, which can exacerbate muscle weakness and contribute to prolonged postoperative recovery times. In this article, we report a case of bulbar ALS diagnosed after postoperative extubation failure in a 51-year-old patient. Practitioners should consider this disease in cases of difficult postoperative ventilatory weaning and should be aware of the impact of surgery and anaesthesia on disease progression.

Source: Cureus

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.84823

Authors: Amine Bouabdallaoui, Salma Taouihar, Naji Yahya, Nawal Adali, Hicham Nassik

Institution: Université Ibn Zohr

Language: English

Topic: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research

Subfield: Neurology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W4410745995