Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Related Respiratory Failure and Association With Inappropriate Secretion Syndrome of the Antidiuretic Hormone

Tiago Ceriz Sr; Andreia Diegues; Sérgio R Alves; Pedro Simões; Miriam P Blanco

doi:10.7759/cureus.34851

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Related Respiratory Failure and Association With Inappropriate Secretion Syndrome of the Antidiuretic Hormone

Cureus. 2023 Feb 10;15(2):e34851. doi: 10.7759/cureus.34851. eCollection 2023 Feb.

Authors

Tiago Ceriz Sr¹, Andreia Diegues¹, Sérgio R Alves², Pedro Simões¹, Miriam P Blanco²

Affiliations

¹ Internal Medicine Department, Unidade Local de Saúde do Nordeste, Bragança, PRT.
² Internal Medicine Department, Unidade Local de Saúde de Bragança, Bragança, PRT.

Abstract

There is an unclear association between the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), with few reports in the literature. We report the case of an 80-year-old man admitted to our emergency room with asthenia, dysphonia, dysphagia, weight loss, and euvolemic hyponatremia, indicating a SIADH. Posteriorly, the patient also developed respiratory failure, which, in association with the previous clinical presentation, led to the diagnosis of ALS. During her permanence at the hospital, the hyponatremia improved with noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation, and the association between these two identities was made. This case also shows that patients with ALS commonly suffer from chronic respiratory failure and still have a reserved prognosis.

Keywords: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; hyponatremia; inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone; narcosis; respiratory failure.

Publication types

Case Reports