Isolated pulmonary recovery in a veteran with late stage bulbar ALS following edaravone treatment and cessation

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that causes the loss of motor neurons, affecting muscles that control eating, talking, and moving, often leading to respiratory failure. This case report describes a patient with late-stage bulbar ALS who showed a surprising improvement in lung function after stopping edaravone, a drug used to treat ALS. The unexpected recovery suggests the possibility that edaravone might cause reversible pulmonary decline, which warrants further research.

• 1
  A patient with late-stage bulbar ALS experienced a dramatic improvement in pulmonary function (FVC) after discontinuing edaravone treatment.
• 2
  Despite the improvement in pulmonary function, the patient's motor symptoms and overall neurological functions continued to decline.
• 3
  The patient survived almost one full year after completion of edaravone administration, with FVC measurements waxing and waning after reaching its peak value.