Bright tongue sign as a radiological clue of bulbar onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A case report

TL;DR

A case report shows that a 'bright tongue sign' on MRI can help diagnose bulbar-onset ALS, aiding early detection and management.

Contribution

Identifies 'bright tongue sign' as a novel radiological clue for bulbar-onset ALS.

Findings

Bright tongue sign on MRI indicates fatty infiltration and neurogenic atrophy in ALS.

Tongue atrophy and EMG findings support bulbar-onset ALS diagnosis.

Early recognition of the bright tongue sign may improve patient outcomes.

Abstract

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by degeneration of motor neurons, with the tongue often involved in clinical presentation. In this case, a 60-year-old female presented with progressive choking episodes and speech slurring over 9 months, exhibiting dysarthria, prominent tongue atrophy, fasciculations, and hyperreflexia. Needle electromyography (EMG) showed diffuse chronic neurogenic changes with signs of active denervation changes prominent on the tongue and right arm with normal sensory nerve studies. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain imaging revealed a Diffuse T1 Weighted image (T1WI) hyperintense of tongue known as "bright tongue sign" indicating fatty infiltration of tongue muscles, consistent with neurogenic atrophy. This case underscores the importance of recognizing this characteristic tongue hyperintensity as a valuable radiological clue in diagnosing bulbar-onset ALS and highlights the potential for early diagnosis to improve patient management and outcomes

Figures