Loading...
In this industry-supported analysis, the pathway from symptom onset to confirmed diagnosis was analyzed for an international, convenience sample of 201 patients (mean age, 56.1 years) with definite ALS. Diagnosis of definite ALS was confirmed at an average of 15 to 21 months, depending on site of onset (i.e., bulbar, arm, or leg). The mean time between the first visit to a physician and the first consultation with a neurologist was 6 months. Surprisingly, the mean time for a neurologist to reach the diagnosis of ALS was 7 months.
Although the diagnosis of ALS is considered straightforward, 45% of the patients were initially misdiagnosed -- a figure higher than the 26% to 42% in previous reports (see, for example, J Neurol Sci 1996; 139:110).…