[Late post-poliomyelitis syndrome]

The late post-poliomyelitic syndrome is not rare (23 cases in the author's experience) despite the apparent eradication of the acute anterior poliomyelitis. It has been described as the late occurrence of recent motor disturbances in a patient with a previous history of acute poliomyelitis in childhood the sequelae of which have been stabilized for more than ten years. The functional sequela of purely mechanic origin as well as the musculoskeletal syndrome described by some authors do not enter in this framework. The occurrence of a muscular weakness and wasting resulting from a further damage of the peripheral motor neuron is only taken into consideration. The clinical expression is often focal, more rarely diffuse. The mechanism remains unknown.