RESUMEN
Objective To describe the clinical features, differential diagnosis and therapeutic method of Madras motor neuron disease (MMND) to improve the understanding of MMND. Methods We retrospectively summarized the clinical data of 3 MMND patients. and conducted the related literature review to compare the similarities and differences on clinical features between our cases and foreign MMND patients. Results Patients in the present study were adult-on?set without definite family history. The main manifestations were multiple lower cranial nerve palsies along with weakness and wasting of proximal limbs. Bifacial palsy and dysarthria were most presented in patients, while definite hearing im?pairment was rarely seen. Two patients had fasciculation and atrophy in tongue and one presented with dysphagia. Weak?ness and atrophy were more frequently presented in upper extremities than in lower limbs. All patients had signs of upper motor neuron damage. The level of creatine kinase (CK) moderately increased in one case. Electromyography (EMG) de?tected a widespread neuronal damage in all patients. MMND should be differentiated from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Kennedy Disease and Brown–Vialetto–van Laere Syndrome. Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy showed effective in some cases to some extent. Compare to foreign MMND patients, bifacial weakness at onset was more frequently presented in our patients, but hearing impairment was absent. Conclusion The clinical features of MMND include weakness and at?rophy of limbs, involvement of facial and bulbar muscles, pyramidal dysfunction and hearing impairment. Some clinical manifestations of our patients are different from foreign MMND patient.