aetiology
Last reviewed 01/2018
The aetiology of motor neurone disease is unknown. 5-10% of cases show a family link. The others occur sporadically.
Syndromes resembling MND may occur:
- following chronic poisoning with mercury, lead, manganese, or selenium
- in association with disorders of metabolism - hypoglycaemia, uraemia, macroglobulinaemia, and following gastric surgery
- following trauma/injury to a limb (1)
- in association with other progressive degenerative diseases of the nervous system of unknown aetiology - Pick's disease, parkinsonism, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- it is endemic in island of Guam where it may occur with parkinsonism and dementia
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