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poliomyelitis
(redirected from ascending poliomyelitis)

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poliomyelitis /po·lio·my·eli·tis/ (-mi?e-li´tis) an acute viral disease usually caused by a poliovirus and marked clinically by fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, and often stiffness of the neck and back; these may be the only symptoms of the minor illness. In the major illness, which may or may not be preceded by the minor illness, there is central nervous system involvement, stiff neck, pleocytosis in spinal fluid, and perhaps paralysis; there may be subsequent atrophy of muscle groups, ending in contraction and permanent deformity.
abortive poliomyelitis  the minor illness of poliomyelitis.
acute anterior poliomyelitis  the major illness of poliomyelitis.
ascending poliomyelitis  poliomyelitis with a cephalad progression.
bulbar poliomyelitis  a severe form affecting the medulla oblongata, which may result in dysfunction of the swallowing mechanism, respiratory embarrassment, and circulatory distress.
cerebral poliomyelitis  poliomyelitis that extends into the brain.
spinal paralytic poliomyelitis  the classic form of acute anterior poliomyelitis, with the appearance of flaccid paralysis of one or more limbs.

po·li·o·my·e·li·tis (pl--m-lts)
n.
A highly infectious viral disease that chiefly affects children and, in its acute forms, causes inflammation of motor neurons of the spinal cord and brainstem, leading to paralysis, muscular atrophy, and often deformity. Also called infantile paralysis.

poliomyelitis (pō´lēōmī´lī´tis),
n a disease produced by a small viral organism that enters the body via the alimentary tract and produces upper pharyngeal, pharyngeal, and intestinal inflammation in its mentor form. In the more severe variety, a subsequent viremia is produced, with extension of the infection to the anterior pulp horn cells and ganglia of the spinal cord, producing a flaccid paralysis. In
bulbar poliomyelitis the viral infection involves the medulla, resulting in impairment of swallowing, respiration, and circulation. It is now recognized that three types of viruses are responsible for the nonparalytic, paralytic, and bulbar varieties of poliomyelitis. The condition is rare in the United States due to vaccination by killed viruses (Salk) and attenuated mutant vaccines (Sabin).

poliomyelitis
inflammation of the gray matter of the brain; also the name applied to the viral disease of humans and also known as polio.

feline poliomyelitis
poliomyelitis suum
see porcine viral encephalomyelitis.

poliomyelitis Neurology A condition characterized by the selective destruction of anterior horn cells in the spinal cord and/or brain stem, ± leading to muscle weakness, paralysis and respiratory paralysis Etiology Viral, in particular poliovirus, but also coxsackie A7, enterovirus 71, and others Clinical If extreme, asymmetric flaccid paralysis Lab CSF pleocytosis, ↑ lymphocytes. Cf Aseptic meningitis.


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