Sleep apnea syndrome after poliomyelitis.

We present a case of severe breathing abnormality during sleep in a young man who had had poliomyelitis 20 yr before. His sleep disorder led to respiratory failure and cor pulmonale, which were greatly improved by oxygen therapy. A study of this case and those previously described supports the notion that brainstem damage during acute poliomyelitis is important in the later appearance of sleep-disordered breathing. In addition, such patients usually have mechanical abnormalities involving the thoracic cage and respiratory muscles. These ventilatory restrictions amplify the pathophysiologic effects of abnormal central nervous system control of breathing during sleep, and we suggest that their presence has a key role in the development of sleep apnea syndrome in these patients.