About Acute Flaccid Myelitis

Acute flaccid osteomyelitis (AFM) is a rare but serious disease. It affects the nervous system, especially the spinal cord area called gray matter, and weakens the muscle and muscle reflections. This is not new, but what has been seen since 2014 is increasing. Nevertheless, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that less than 1 million people will receive AFM every year. There are many causes for AFM, such as viruses, environmental toxins, and genetic diseases. Most cases known to the Children's Disease Prevention and Control Center occur in children.

Acute flaccid myelitis is a rare neurological symptom that reduces body muscles and reflexes. Viral, toxic and hereditary diseases can cause acute flaccid osteomyelitis. Viruses that cause symptoms and the like include poliovirus, non-polio enteritis, adenovirus or West Nile virus. The exact cause in most cases is unknown. However, the onset of acute flaccid osteomyelitis is extremely rare. Every year in the United States, it is estimated that less than one million people suffer from this disease. Symptoms are muscle weakness of the arms and legs, loss of reflexes and sudden weakness. Other symptoms include sagging of the face, drooping of the eyelids, difficulty moving the eyes, feeling of weakness on the face, obscure utterance, swallowing disorder, and the like. Respiratory failure is the most serious potential symptom

At the Children's Neurological Society held on October 23, 2014, there is discussion as to whether or not acute flaccid osteomyelitis will recur next year. Enteroviruses D68 and A71 tend to cause neurological symptoms rather than other enteric viruses, but they are less likely to catch colds. Enterovirus has caused acute flaccid osteomyelitis at a very low rate for many years and has been misdiagnosed as transverse myelitis. On the other hand, enterovirus 68 became more common in the 2014 season.

Specific treatments and interventions for AFM have not been decided. Treatment of transverse myelitis has been used, but it has not been proven to be beneficial in the case of acute flaccid myelitis. Currently, the current acute treatment for TM (high dose IV steroid, IVIg and plasmapheresis) is given to AFM because most cases of acute flaccid myelitis have spinal inflammation as well as classic transverse myelitis It is used. The aim of treatment is to reduce inflammation of the spinal cord and to prevent the immune system from attacking individuals. As with transverse myelitis treatment, treatment should be personalized. CDC 3 does not recommend the use of steroids under AFM, intravenous or plasma exchange, but caregivers of AFM patients or children of AFM should discuss treatment recommendations with physicians (very limited CDC recommendations based on data)