Facial-onset SOD1 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A case report and systematic review

Facial-onset weakness is an exceptionally rare presentation of SOD1-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and its natural history, anatomical spread, and prognostic implications remain unclear.

We report a woman carrying a heterozygous SOD1 A5T variant who presented with isolated, rapidly progressive bilateral facial palsy, and we performed a PRISMA-compliant systematic review of MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify genetically confirmed SOD1-positive ALS with facial-onset weakness. Case-level demographic, genetic, clinical, neurophysiological, and outcome data were extracted and synthesised descriptively.

Eleven patients were included (7 men, 4 women; mean age at onset 52.3 years). Seven SOD1 variants were represented, predominantly associated with short survival (e.g. A5V, C7G, A5T). Facial weakness was initially confined to the lower face in 5/11 patients, while 6/11 had combined upper and lower facial involvement. Disease spread followed a stereotyped pattern: early contralateral facial recruitment (mean 3.6 months), rapid bulbar involvement (4.2 months), and later extension to the upper limbs (9.2 months), frequently with side-concordance between facial and arm involvement. Lower motor neuron (LMN) signs predominated in the early phases of the disease. Survival was short (median 16 months), lower than reported for unselected SOD1-ALS cohorts with the same genotypes. Three patients received tofersen, with heterogeneous outcomes.

Facial-onset SOD1 ALS defines a distinctive phenotype characterised by LMN-predominant facial palsy in early phases, near-neighbour spread, and an aggressive course exceeding genotype-based expectations. Prompt recognition and genetic testing in progressive facial palsy unresponsive to immunotherapy are essential to ensure access to gene-targeted treatments.