Key result
Two patients with a history of childhood poliomyelitis developed post-polio syndrome characterized by progressive asymmetric weakness and respiratory failure, with one case resulting in death.
Case Report (n=2)
Post-polio syndrome is a progressive neurological disorder that can lead to severe respiratory compromise and death despite immunomodulatory therapy.
Respiratory failure may progress despite immunomodulatory therapy in post-polio syndrome; case reports leave optimal management open for prospective study.
Post-polio syndrome (PPS) is a rare neurological disorder that affects 20-40% of paralytic and non-paralytic polio survivors. It is estimated that about 15 million people worldwide are survivors of the polio infection that occurred during the 1940s and 1950s, until the vaccine was first introduced. Its main characteristic is the appearance of de novo muscle weakness or its increase and atrophy, accompanied by other symptoms such as fatigue, joint, bone or muscle pain, intolerance to cold, and bulbar symptoms (involvement of swallowing, speech and breathing). PPS usually affects performance in daily activities with a negative effect on patients' quality of life. We present two cases with a diagnosis of PPS, with a current review of the literature.
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Mafla-Ayub et al. (2022) conducted a case report in Post-polio syndrome (n=2). Poliovirus infection history was evaluated. Two patients with a history of childhood poliomyelitis developed post-polio syndrome characterized by progressive asymmetric weakness and respiratory failure, with one case resulting in death.
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