”They have a clear mind and normal senses, but their muscles are atrophied and weak, and the average survival time is only 3-5 years after diagnosis. Because the initial symptoms are atypical and rare, the disease is easily misdiagnosed in its early stages, most often as cervical spondylosis.
The scientific name for “acromegaly” is motor neuron disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This disease is fatal. The average age of onset is 50 years old, and now more and more adults of younger ages are also suffering from the disease. Except for about 10% of patients who have a genetic family history, the cause of most patients is not known and there is no cure.
A. Tardive dyskinesia and cervical spondylosis are easily confused
If patients with motor neuron disease are mistakenly operated on for cervical spine surgery, the condition will often deteriorate rapidly, even in a year and a half, with advanced manifestations such as swallowing disorders and breathing difficulties, depriving patients of possible early treatment opportunities.
Therefore, both doctors and patients should beware of motor neuron disease that manifests as cervical spondylosis. Patients with cervical spondylosis can hold off on surgery and ask a neurologist to take another look and do an EMG. If motor neuron disease is ruled out, it is not too late to go back for surgery.
Second, “acromegaly” vs. cervical spondylosis
1, motor neuron patients only have no energy, muscle atrophy; while cervical spondylosis generally has obvious sensory impairment, such as hand numbness.
2, motor neuron patients generally do not have problems with urination and defecation, while cervical spondylosis has abnormal urination and defecation.
3, if a person feels that the muscles jump significantly, be highly suspicious of motor neuron disease.
In addition, only the upper extremities of cervical spondylosis have problems, while the lower extremities of “acromegaly” may also have problems.
Three types of “acromegaly”.
The main manifestation of “acromegaly” is muscle atrophy and weakness. With the development of the disease, the atrophy and weakness will gradually spread to the limbs, although the patient is clear-headed, but can not command the limbs to move at will, and eventually lose the ability to take care of themselves. In addition, the disease affects the muscles of the throat, causing difficulty in speech and swallowing; even difficulty in breathing. Throughout the course of the disease, the patient remains conscious, mentally alert, and has no impairment of bowel or urinary function. “There are three types of tachyphylaxis, among which the upper limb type is more common.
1. Upper limb type: At the beginning, the hands have no strength and are inflexible, such as the hand cannot twist the key when opening the door, the fingers are inflexible and cannot twist the cap of the bottle, and the muscles of the hands are atrophied. Then, from the fingers to the arms, slowly unable to hold chopsticks and comb hair. When you can’t move your hands, you can’t lift your arms, and you have the feeling of being “frozen”, and gradually it develops from the upper limbs to the lower limbs and the whole body.
2.Lower limb type: First, it feels like you can’t lift your feet and can’t walk, and gradually it develops from the feet to the calves to the thighs, and when you squat, you can’t get up, and then it moves to the upper limbs.
3. Throat: At the beginning, it was impossible to speak and felt that it was suffering from pharyngitis, but everything was normal in the examination. Gradually, the voice becomes hoarse, suddenly unable to make a sound, unable to speak, weak, unable to breathe, and suffocating. This type develops quickly, and it usually takes 3-5 years for the whole body to “freeze up”.
All three types will eventually have the same performance, the upper and lower extremity disease will eventually affect the throat, manifested as the first can not eat, swallowing difficulties, easy to choke on water. The second weakness, the most fatal is unable to breathe, until respiratory failure and death.
Four, “progressive” vs. myasthenia gravis, progressive muscular dystrophy
The general public is often confused about the difference between “progressive freezing” and myasthenia gravis, progressive muscular dystrophy, mistakenly believe that not all muscle atrophy, can not move? In fact, there is a fundamental difference between them.
The patients with myasthenia gravis are generally younger than those with tachyphylaxis, and 90% of them can recover after treatment and rest, which is reversible.
Progressive myotonic dystrophy is a genetic disease, more children get this disease, the course of the disease is long, the disability rate is high. Compared with these two, the progression of the disease is faster and irreversible.