Second Attacks of Poliomyelitis. Report of a Case with Autopsy Findings.

Second attacks of poliomyelitis have been reported infrequently. In 1948, Fox and his associates 1 reviewed the literature, noted 21 second attacks of poliomyelitis, and added one. Fifteen other cases were listed as doubtful. Besides those series, seven reliable and two probable second attacks have been recorded. Bridges and others 2 reported four second attacks and two questionable ones. Alves and Pugh, 3 Wyllie, 4 and Ashley, 5 have each reported one case. Thus, to date there have been 29 second attacks of poliomyelitis and 17 doubtful second attacks cited in the literature. Careful analysis of the reported second attacks reveals that in only one instance previously regarded as authentic did the second attack terminate fatally. In no case have autopsy findings been reported. Furthermore, in the fatal case cited by Fischer and Stillerman 6 it is questionable whether the patient ever had the disease previously. In that instance the