[The post-poliomyelitis syndrome--a real complication. A poliomyelitis material from the Haukeland hospital].

Over a four-year period, all in-patients at our department with the diagnosis of polio-sequelae were clinically examined for development of new neuromuscular deficit. 19 out of 125 patients (15%) had developed a postpolio syndrome. All 19 had acquired additional functional deficit and 17 new, localized pareses. Five patients had developed polio-related hypoventilation. The mean time from acute poliomyelitis to debut of the post-polio syndrome was 39 years. The post-polio syndrome occurred in patients with severe pareses in the acute stage, but was not related to age, sex or specific epidemic. Most of the 106 other patients had similar subjective complaints but did not have any clinical signs indicating new neuromuscular deficit. 67 of these patients had tendinitis and/or myalgia and 83 had chronic pain. Whereas many patients have progressive symptoms many years after poliomyelitis, only a minority develop the post-polio syndrome.