Pregnancy 5 Years After Onset of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Symptoms: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Background: Pregnancy in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is extremely rare and often results in delivery of a healthy baby when patients are in the early stages of the disease.

Case: This report describes the case of a successful pregnancy 5 years after ALS onset. Significant worsening of weakness, unsteady balance, and dysphagia were noticed around the third trimester. A healthy child was delivered at term by planned Caesarean section. After delivery the patient developed remarkable weakness, dysphagia, and dysarthria.

Conclusion: A literature search found 22 cases through PubMed and Ovid, with key words "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis" and "pregnancy." Both slow progression and rapid progression of ALS during pregnancy have been reported. Worsening of symptoms seems to be common, but little is still known about the influence of pregnancy on ALS onset and progression.