Acute Flaccid Myelitis: Working Toward a Better Case Definition

A close examination of 45 reported cases of AFM reveals clinical characteristics that distinguish it from similarly presenting disorders.

Cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a polio-like illness, have been increasing since the first reported case in 2012 and peaked in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Although clinical evaluation and laboratory workups have been extensive and there is suggestion that enterovirus infections (D68 and A71) may play a causal role, no definitive etiologic agent has been identified.

In the current retrospective study, investigators closely re-examined 45 cases of AFM reported from the United States and Canada that met the CDC case definition (acute onset of paralysis with evidence of myelitis including magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] findings and/or cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] pleocytosis) to better understand the condition and to assess the validity of the C…

Reviewing Author

Deborah Lehman, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Deborah Lehman, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Acute Flaccid Myelitis: Working Toward a Better Case Definition

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Reviewing Author