Frequency and clinical manifestations of post-poliomyelitis syndrome in a brazilian tertiary care center

• Autor(a) principal: Quadros,Abrahão Augusto Juviniano
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Outros Autores: Conde,Mônica Tilli Reis Pessoa, Marin,Luis Fabiano, Silva,Helga Cristina Almeida, Silva,Tatiana Mesquita e, Paula,Maria Bernadete Eduardo de, Pereira,Roberto Dias Batista, Ramos,Paulo Eduardo, Abe,Gislane, Oliveira,Acary Souza Bulle
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0004-282X2012000800002
• topic: post-polio syndrome; poliomyelitis; prevalence

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and clinical manifestations of patients with post-poliomyelitis syndrome (PPS) in a Brazilian division of neuromuscular disorders. METHODS: A total of 167 patients with prior history of paralytic poliomyelitis was investigated for PPS, based on international diagnostic criteria. Other variables analyzed were: gender, race, age at poliomyelitis infection, age at PPS onset, and PPS symptoms. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-nine patients presented PPS, corresponding to 77.2% of the studied population. 62.8% were women and 37.2% were men. Mean age of patients with PPS at onset of PPS symptoms was 39.9±9.69 years. Their main clinical manifestations were: new weakness in the previously affected limbs (69%) and in the apparently not affected limbs (31%); joint pain (79.8%); fatigue (77.5%); muscle pain (76%); and cold intolerance (69.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Most patients of our sample presented PPS. In Brazil, PPS frequency and clinical features are quite similar to those of other countries.