Characteristics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Lebanon-a chart review

Abstract

Objective Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder primarily manifesting as motor deficits. It is caused by motor neuron death and leads to progressive disability and demise. It can present at any age, manifest as several phenotypes, and may have a variable progression pattern. Methods: This retrospective study is based on chart review of subjects presenting to the American University of Beirut Medical Center from June 2015 till March 2020. It aims to describe the characteristics of ALS in Lebanon. Results: Out of 140 subjects identified, 113 had classical ALS. The mean age in classical and atypical ALS were 55.5 and 55.6 years, male gender was predominant in both groups, and the mean duration from disease onset to diagnosis was 10 months in classic ALS compared to 22 months in atypical ALS. The median survival in subjects with classical ALS was 31 months which was significantly lower than atypical ALS phenotypes of 41.5 months. Additionally, more than half of patients (57%) were found to have a moderate ALSFRS-R progression rate. Conclusions: The study is the first to report the characteristics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Lebanon. Moreover, we were able to categorize patients with classical phenotype according to disease progression using the ALSFRS-R score which can be a useful tool in determining disease prognosis at an early stage.