Vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis in a patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia

• DOI: 10.1007/s13365-017-0610-4
• Publication Date: 2018-01-10T09:22:14Z
• Authors: Reza Taherkhani; Fatemeh Farshadpour; Mohammad Reza Rav...
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Respiratory Distress Syndrome; WH Hemic and Lymphatic System; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma; 3. Good health; Immunocompromised Host; 03 medical and health sciences; Fatal Outcome; 0302 clinical medicine; Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral; Humans; Paralysis; Meningitis, Aseptic; Diagnostic Errors; Poliomyelitis

We report a case of vaccine-associated paralytic poliomyelitis (VAPP) in an immunocompromised patient with acute lymphocytic leukemia who was initially diagnosed with aseptic meningitis. Isolation of Sabin-like type 1 poliovirus from the patient's cerebrospinal fluid made this a case of vaccine-related poliovirus (VRPV) infection. The patient developed paralysis and respiratory distress and deceased a few months after onset of paralysis with respiratory failure. This tragic case report highlights the emergence of VAPP and indicates the importance of timely diagnosis of VRPV infections to improve clinical management of VRPV-infected patients and to prevent the devastating consequences of silent introduction of VRPVs in treatment wards and eventually in the society.