Abstract
Similarities between a mitochondrial disorder (MID) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) fade with disease progression and the development of mitochondrial multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MIMODS). However, with mild MIMODS, a MID may still be misinterpreted as ALS. We report a 48-year-old male who presented to the Neurological Hospital Rosenhügel, Vienna, Austria, in February 2001 with slowly progressive weakness, wasting and left upper limb fasciculations which spread to the shoulder girdle and lower limbs. Additionally, he developed tetraspasticity and bulbar involvement. He had been diagnosed with ALS a year previously due to electrophysiological investigations indicative of a chronic neurogenic lesion. However, a muscle biopsy revealed morphological features of a MID and a combined complex-II/III defect. Nerve conduction studies were performed over subsequent years until February 2011. This case demonstrates that MIDs may mimic ALS at onset and begin as a mono-organ disorder but develop into a multi-organ disease with long-term progression. A combined complex II/III defect may manifest with bulbar involvement.
Publication details
- DOI
- 10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.017
- Journal
- Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 16(1), 92-95
- Publisher
- Sultan Qaboos University
- Open access
- Gold open access
- License
- CC BY-ND 4.0
Cite this article
APA 7
Finsterer, J., & Zarrouk-Mahjoub, S. (2025). Mitochondrial Disorders May Mimic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis at Onset. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 16(1), 92-95. https://doi.org/10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.017
MLA 9
Finsterer, Josef, and Sinda Zarrouk-Mahjoub. "Mitochondrial Disorders May Mimic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis at Onset." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, vol. 16, no. 1, 2025, pp. 92-95. https://doi.org/10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.017.
Chicago (author–date)
Finsterer, Josef, and Sinda Zarrouk-Mahjoub. 2025. "Mitochondrial Disorders May Mimic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis at Onset." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal 16 (1): 92-95. https://doi.org/10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.017.
Harvard
Finsterer, J. and Zarrouk-Mahjoub, S. (2025) 'Mitochondrial Disorders May Mimic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis at Onset', Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 16(1), pp. 92-95. doi:10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.017.
Vancouver
Finsterer J, Zarrouk-Mahjoub S. Mitochondrial Disorders May Mimic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis at Onset. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal. 2025;16(1):92-95. doi:10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.017
IEEE
J. Finsterer, and S. Zarrouk-Mahjoub, "Mitochondrial Disorders May Mimic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis at Onset," Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 92-95, 2025, doi: 10.18295/squmj.2016.16.01.017.