by TwitchyDoc on May 6th, 2013, 12:34 pm
Bummer, I checked your videos (I did not see anything on the other one, the light was too bright, overoexposing the tongue). I will ask for opinion but I can tell you but what you have there does not look like typical fasciculation, for that it is too fast and for fibrillation, it would not be that focal rather then spread over the tongue and continous in all places together. I think that Isaacs/ neuromyotonia could be really checked in this case, as this it is known to affect the tongue as well. Did EMG show any discharges? I do not remember what your EMG said about bulbar area (if it was done there).
As for your question why tongue fasciculations are often viewed as a malignant sign - nobody knows, I asked directly few specialists like prof. Eisen who has been investigating ALS for many decades. It is just association that when person comes with slurred speech and tongue fasciculations, it indicated the bulbar area involvement. Also the XII crania nerve which innervates tongue is well hidden, short and thus less prone to damage (as opposed to calves). But there is nothing special from medical point of view that would indicate that tongue fasciculation is more likely to be malignant. As I said, I have had them as well.