Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) is a complex clinical syndrome with broad array of potential etiologies and clinical features. The incidence of polio acute flaccidparalysis (AFP) has decreased in India but the non-polio AFP (NPAFP) rate has increased since 2000.It is useful to distinguish the possible causes of AFP in children using a neuro-anatomical approach. The accurate and early diagnosis of the cause is very important while managing the cases of AFP. This study is prospective and retrospective observational study. The objectives of our study were to study clinical features and etiology of AFP cases in children under 15 years age group.50 children under 15 years age group admitted in the tertiary care hospital from 2014 to 2018 with acute onset focal neurological weakness or paralysis were included in this study. Most common age group affected was 3 to 8 years (44%). Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) was the most frequent final diagnosis (78%) followed by Bell’s palsy (8%), Transverse Myelitis (6%), Traumatic Neuritis (4%) and others (4%). NCV studies revealed Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (AIDP) as most common variant (38%) of GBS followed by Acute Motor Axonal Neuropathy (AMAN-31%) and Acute Motor Sensory Axonal Neuropathy(AMSAN-10%).51% cases of GBS had history of antecedent infection while 54% cases had cranial nerveinvolvement.CSF cytoalbumino dissociation was seen in only in 11% cases of GBS. This study concluded that GBS was the most common cause of AFP and AIDP was the most common variant of GBS.

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Dr Tejasi L. Sawant

Resident Doctor, Grant Govt Medical College& Sir JJ Group of hospitals, Mumbai