Paralytic Syndromes Associated With Noninflammatory Cytoplasmic or Nuclear Neuronopathy

Postmortem studies on 57 Mexican children with acute, lower motor neuron paralytic disease indicated that 32 had poliomyelitis and 25 had no inflammatory changes in the central nervous system. In the latter group, ten exhibited neuropathologic changes compatible with a diagnosis of Landry-Guillain-Barré syndrome; eight, showing extensive chromatolysis of the majority of lower motor neurons, were categorized as "cytoplasmic neuronopathy"; and seven, showing an argyrophil, degenerative change of the nuclei of the majority of lower motor neurons but no chromatolysis, were categorized as "nuclear neuronopathy." The interval between onset of paralysis and death was longer than one week (10 to 30 days) in 70% of the Landry-Guillain-Barré group, one week or less in 75% of the cytoplasmic neuronopathy group, and less than one week in 86% of the nuclear neuronopathy group.