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Title
Neurological complications of swine influenza vaccination.
AuthorPoser CM
Source
Acta Neurol Scand,
66:
4, 1982 Oct,
413-31
AbstractThe emphasis upon the remarkably large number of cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome which resulted
from the 1976 National Swine Influenza immunization program in the U.S.A. has obscured the fact that other
neurological complications, involving the central nervous system also occurred. The anatomical distribution
of lesions is almost identical with that seen following other types of vaccination: involvement
of the brain, cerebellum, optic nerve, cranial nerves and spinal cord occurred with approximately the
same frequency. 5 instances of the very rare subacute or chronic, progressive, post-vaccinal encephalopathy
are described, a situation which is identical to the subacute and chronic forms of polyradiculoneuropathy.
In a number of cases, in particular the myelopathies, a subclinical involvement of peripheral
nerves was demonstrated by means of electrodiagnostic studies, illustrating the often overlooked fact
that central nervous system involvement will mask peripheral nerve lesions. The etiological significance
of the swine influenza vaccination was overlooked and completely erroneous diagnoses were established
in a surprisingly large number of the 26 new cases reported here.