Post-polio syndrome overview
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Post-polio syndrome (PPS) is a condition that affects survivors of poliomyelitis, a viral infection of the nervous system, after recovery from an initial paralytic attack of the virus.
Pathophysiology
The precise mechanism that causes post-polio syndrome is unknown.
Diagnosis
Typically the symptoms appear 20-40 years after the original infection, at an age of 35 to 60. Symptoms include new or increased muscular weakness, pain in the muscles, and fatigue.[1]
Diagnosis of post-polio syndrome can be difficult, since the symptoms are hard to separate from the original symptoms of polio and from the normal infirmities of aging. There is no laboratory test for post-polio syndrome, nor is there any other specific diagnostic, and diagnosis is usually a "diagnosis of exclusion" whereby other possible causes of the symptoms are eliminated.[2]
Treatment
Treatment generally is limited to supportive measures, primarily leg braces and energy-saving devices such as powered wheelchairs, plus pain relievers, sleep aids, etc.