<P> Based on the person's symptoms and findings from the examination and from these tests, the physician may order tests on blood and urine samples to eliminate the possibility of other diseases, as well as routine laboratory tests . In some cases, for example, if a physician suspects the person may have a myopathy rather than ALS, a muscle biopsy may be performed . </P> <P> A number of infectious diseases can sometimes cause ALS - like symptoms, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human T - lymphotropic virus (HTLV), Lyme disease, and syphilis . Neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, multifocal motor neuropathy, CIDP, spinal muscular atrophy, and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy can also mimic certain aspects of the disease and should be considered . </P> <P> ALS must be differentiated from the "ALS mimic syndromes" which are unrelated disorders that may have a similar presentation and clinical features to ALS or its variants . Because of the prognosis carried by this diagnosis and the variety of diseases or disorders that can resemble ALS in the early stages of the disease, people with ALS symptoms should always obtain a specialist neurological opinion in order to rule out alternative diagnoses . Myasthenic syndrome, also known as Lambert--Eaton syndrome, can mimic ALS, and its initial presentation can be similar to that of myasthenia gravis (MG), a treatable autoimmune disease sometimes mistaken for ALS . Benign fasciculation syndrome is another condition that mimics some of the early symptoms of ALS, but is accompanied by normal EMG readings and no major disablement . </P> <P> Most cases of ALS, however, are correctly diagnosed, with the error rate of diagnosis in large ALS clinics is less than 10% . One study examined 190 people who met the MND / ALS diagnostic criteria, complemented with laboratory research in compliance with both research protocols and regular monitoring . Thirty of these people (16%) had their diagnosis completely changed during the clinical observation development period . In the same study, three people had a false negative diagnosis of MG, which can mimic ALS and other neurological disorders, leading to a delay in diagnosis and treatment . MG is eminently treatable; ALS is not . </P>

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (als) lou gehrig’s disease